RIO DE JANEIRO – Helen and Kate Richardson-Walsh won a gold medal in women’s field hockey for Great Britain on Friday night, and no, they’re not sisters.
Kate is the captain of her national team, which defeated the Netherlands in a nailbiting shootout following a 3-3 tie in regulation.
Helen is her wife. This is 2016. Deal with it.
The Richardson-Walshes will not just take twin gold medals back to their home in Maidenhead, just outside London, they will also carry a slice of Olympic history with them. Actually, a bit more Olympic history. They were already the first gay married couple to compete at the same Olympics. Now they are the first medalists, and first gold medalists, of that description.
“It is really, really special,” Kate Richardson-Walsh said. “To win an Olympic medal is special. To do it with your wife standing next to …we will cherish this for the rest of our lives.”
Same sex marriages became legalized in most of the United Kingdom in 2013 and Kate and Helen wed the same year, in a lively occasion to which all of their teammates were invited. They had gotten together in 2008 and it was all a bit of a surprise in the hockey community. Kate had previously been engaged to Brett Garrard, a former captain of the British men’s team. Helen had been in a long relationship with another woman.
Their union works, both on and off the field. Teammates joke about it when one delivers a crunching tackle on another in training. The squad embraced them as family. There was some sadly inevitable sniping from some quarters when the relationship was made public, but none from within the national team. Either way, Helen (nee Richardson) and Kate (nee Walsh) are tough enough to cope with it.
Kate, team captain since 2003, had her jaw smashed by a flailing stick early in the 2012 London tournament but had a swift operation, donned a face mask and skippered the team to bronze.
“I am so proud of the way she has come back,” Helen said. “She deserves this so much.”
There will surely be more gay married couples who compete at the same Games, either together or otherwise. Before long, it might be normal enough to be barely worth mentioning. Let’s hope so, but this was a fine way to start.
Great Britain reportedly has the highest number of openly gay athletes at the Rio Games, with eight out of a total of 44. However, there are still elements of British society where there is resistance. For example, there are currently no openly gay players in the top levels of English soccer, the most popular game in the country.
The Richardson-Walshes did not set out to be trailblazers, but admitted they do hope their example lead to “many more” closeted athletes coming out.
For much of Friday night, it seemed like the pair might have to settle for silver. The Netherlands, ranked No.1 in the world, led 2-1 and 3-2 before being twice pegged out.
A thrilling shootout followed, in which Helen scored with a decisive penalty stroke before the heroics of goalkeeper Maddie Hinch gave the Brits a cushion and Hollie Webb made the winning strike.
And so history was created. It was the first time it happened. And, hopefully, the last time it matters.
