Article originally published 20/08/2016: due to a technical issue this article may have resurfaced for some readers, and the original publish date may not have been visible.
Great Britain’s dramatic gold medal in the hockey marked the first Olympic title for the women’s team. It was also significant for boasting the first same-sex married couple to win a gold.
Kate and Helen Richardson-Walsh married in 2013, the same year as same-sex marriages were legalised in the UK.
The pair were instrumental in the victory, brought about after a nail-biting penalty shoot-out.
Kate, the team captain, is considered Team GB’s driving force. Helen withstood a chorus of boos from a mostly Netherlands-supporting crowd to score the decisive penalty.
The pair, who had been playing hockey together for 17 years but only got together in 2008, told the BBC how victory was all the more sweet for achieving it together. Helen said:
“It’s pretty special. To win one of these is special. But to share it with someone like Kate is truly amazing.”
Said Kate:
“It’s very special. Just to see Helen come back from double back surgery, maybe never play hockey again, the strength and resilience she has shown has resonated throughout the squad.”
The couple have bronze medals from London 2012, a moment shared on Instagram.
Social media hailed them the new Olympic ‘golden couple’.
