The women's hockey semi-final between China and Belgium at the Paris Olympics descended into chaos after Chinese player Fan Yunxia struck Belgian opponent Delphine-Daphne Marien with the ball after the final whistle. The match, which ended 1-1 in regulation time, was decided by a penalty shootout, with China winning 3-2 to secure a place in the gold medal match against the Netherlands.
As umpire Amber Church blew the final whistle, Fan hit the ball at Marien, who fell to the ground in pain. Belgian players angrily confronted Fan, and both Fan and Judith Vandermeiren received yellow cards after order was restored. Vandermeiren protested the decision, saying, 'I'm protecting my team-mate. You cannot do that.'
Eurosport commentator described the incident as 'reckless and dangerous,' attributing it to frustration. Despite the controversy, China coach Alyson Annan praised her team's preparation, noting they practised shootouts at every training session for the past year and a half. 'We did what we had to do,' she said.
Belgium will now face Argentina in the bronze medal match. Vandermeiren expressed disappointment but emphasised the opportunity to win Belgium's first Olympic hockey medal. 'We can still get the first medal in the history of Belgium Hockey, so we should go for it,' she said.
