During the early 1980s Kym Ireland was the goaltender for the Australian women’s field hockey team. Initially, Ireland was selected to compete at the 1980 Moskva Olympics, but she was one of more than 60 Australian athletes that did not attend the Games due to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. She then represented Australia at the 1981 Women’s Hockey World Cup in Buenos Aires, where the team placed fourth, before going one better at the 1983 World Cup to win bronze in Malaysia. In 1984 the women’s team made their first appearance at the Olympics when they competed at the Los Angeles Games, with Ireland playing in goal in all five of their matches. Following her international career she worked as a coach and mentor in Rockhampton, Queensland.
Australia