Quite an experience, is how Laurine describes her participation in the world championships in Spain mid-August. ‘Playing hockey against the best teams in the world and then coming fi rst in the pool phase – that was a really cool feeling. It was great, that stress before the match and goading each other on to give it all we’d got.’ It was clear after the fi rst match that the Dutch ladies were among the best in the world. They beat Canada 13-0 in the semifinal and beat Australia too, after a tough and exciting match. That was the best moment for the student of Animal Sciences. ‘The relief you feel then is mega.’
In the final the ladies came up against Colombia. This team was too much for them though and Holland lost 3-7. ‘That was a real goose-pimple moment. We realized we had lost the match but we are still the second in the world and we really had done fantastically! No gold for us, sadly, but this silver medal has a golden lining.’