Lizzie bids for Olympic glory

Lizzie Holden (nee Colvin) attended the college from 2004-2008, gaining her first senior Irish cap at that stage.

On Saturday the Irish Women’s Hockey squad make history as they competed for the first time at an Olympic Games, playing their opening match against South Africa, notching up a 2-0 win.

Their fortunes took a downturn against world number one side The Netherlands on Monday with a 4-0 defeat and on Wednesday they faced Germany finishing on the wrong side of a 4-2 scoreline. .

On Friday they face India (the match starting at 3.45am our time, 11.45am in Tokyo).

Lizzie was brought on a substitute in all three games.

Ireland are currently sitting in fourth place in Group A - the top four teams from each of the two groups of six progress to the knockout stage.

A key member of the Irish squad is Lizzie is now a solicitor and has remained on the Irish squad since 2008 with over 200 caps.

She was a World Cup Silver medallist in 2018.

She has played domestic hockey for Armagh, Loreto (Dublin) and Belfast Harlequins as well as playing for top Dutch side HGC.

The Portadown College Hockey Facebook page described Lizzie as a “determined but fair player and a leader embodying our school motto of ‘Fortiter et Humaniter’, with courage and courtesy”.

Lizzie is the second Portadown College 1st XI captain to become an Olympian, the first was Lady Mary Peters who competed in three Olympic Games and who won Olympic Gold in the Pentathlon at the Munich 1972 Games

You can watch the Green Army at Tokyo 2020 on a variety of platforms including BBC NI and RTE television.

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