Double Dutch field hockey gold: women defend title as Netherlands sweeps sport's Paris titles

COLOMBES, France (AP) — Oranje is gold again in women's field hockey after the Netherlands pulled off a first-of-its-kind Olympic sweep.

The Netherlands defended its title from Tokyo, rallying from an early deficit to beat China 2-1 in a shootout in the final at the Paris Olympics on Friday night.

The victory followed the Dutch men’s team taking gold a day earlier. The Netherlands became the first country to sweep the field hockey medals at the Games since the women’s tournament was added in 1980.

“We have both golds — that's historic,” said Pien Sanders, who scored in the shootout nearly 24 hours after boyfriend Thijs van Dam won with the men's team. “This means everything. I think the pressure is the always really high for the Dutch team and that we are here with gold, it’s so beautiful.”

Much like the men, the women did so surrounded by a sea of orange, with Dutch fans filling Yves-du-Manoir Stadium and making for a festive atmosphere. Also like the men, it did not happen easily.

The Netherlands fell behind 5:54 in when a defensive lapse in front allowed Chen Yi to redirect Dan Wen's setup past goalkeeper Anne Veenendaal. After trailing for just six minutes all tournament until the final, the Dutch generated plenty of quality chances through three quarters, including Frederique Malta ringing one penalty corner shot off the left post and missing wide right on another.

“It was a little bit nerve-wracking, actually,” Maria Verschoor said. "Till the end I was like, ‘Oh my God, is it going to happen?’ All the time were saying: ‘OK, it’s coming. It’s coming.’

Yibbi Jansen tied it with 9:11 left in regulation by scoring on a penalty corner, setting off cheering, flag-waving and jumping in the stands. Sanders, Verschoor and Marijn Veen scored in the shootout to spark what could be an all-night party for the Dutch players and their fans.

"We have all these celebrations," Verschoor said. “I think we will have a lot of parties in the coming days.”

Jansen finished as the tournament's leading goal scorer with nine but said: “If was not gold, it doesn’t matter. The only thing that counts is that we win.”

The second of back-to-back Olympic titles came with former coach Alyson Annan on the other side with China. Annan, an Australian native who guided the Netherlands to gold in Tokyo in 2021, abruptly stepped down in early 2022 after a Royal Dutch Hockey Association investigation into team culture under her watch following complaints from players.

Annan said China should be proud of her team's performance, entering the Olympics as an underdog and coming 10 minutes away from the country's first field hockey championship at the Games.

“We got Olympic silver, and we were this close to gold,” Annan said, adding she was not surprised by the run. “Six months ago, a year ago, two years ago, we wouldn’t have thought we’d be here.”

The Netherlands improved to 21-0 against China over the past decade, with 15 of the previous 20 wins coming by multiple goals.

“It was a very close game,” said coach Paul van Ass, whose son, Seve, won gold with the men's team. “Well, we attacked and they defended. But because they got a goal so early, they had the time to defend. And they defended very well.”

Argentina took home women’s field hockey bronze after beating Belgium in a penalty shootout. Argentina medaled for a second consecutive Games, taking silver in Tokyo for losing to the Netherlands in the final.

“It’s crazy,” Argentina goalkeeper Cristina Cosentino said. “We’re very happy. We came here to get medals, and we couldn’t go back empty-handed.”

The Netherlands was the only country to win two field hockey medals of any color in Paris. Germany took silver and India bronze on the men's side.

AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

Team Netherlands poses for a photograph after winning the gold medal in the women's field hockey at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Colombes, France. (AP Photo/ Anjum Naveed)

Netherlands' players celebrate after winning the women's gold medal field hockey match against China at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Colombes, France. (AP Photo/ Anjum Naveed)

Team Netherlands, center, team China, left, and team Argentina pose for a photograph after winning the gold, silver and the bronze medals respectively in the women's field hockey at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Colombes, France. (AP Photo/ Anjum Naveed)

Team Netherlands poses for a photograph after winning the gold medal in the women's field hockey at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Colombes, France. (AP Photo/ Anjum Naveed)

Netherlands' goalkeeper Anne Veenendaal, right, and teammates celebrate after winning the women's gold medal field hockey match against China at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Colombes, France. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Netherlands' goalkeeper Anne Veenendaal carries teammate Pien Sanders, right, as they celebrate after winning the women's gold medal field hockey match against China at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Colombes, France. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Netherlands' goalkeeper Anne Veenendaal, center, and teammates celebrate after winning the women's gold medal field hockey match against China at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Colombes, France. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Netherlands' goalkeeper Anne Veenendaal, left, and teammates celebrate after winning the women's gold medal field hockey match against China at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Colombes, France. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Netherlands' players celebrate after seeing their teammate score the winning goal in the shootout during the women's gold medal field hockey match against China at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Colombes, France. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Netherlands' players celebrate after winning the women's gold medal field hockey match against China at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Colombes, France. (AP Photo/ Anjum Naveed)

Netherlands' Yibbi Jansen, centre, celebrates after scoring her side's first goal during the women's gold medal field hockey match between Netherlands and China at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Colombes, France. (AP Photo/ Anjum Naveed)

Netherlands' Yibbi Jansen, back to the camera, celebrates with teammates after scoring her side's first goal during the women's gold medal field hockey match between China and Netherlands at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Colombes, France. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Netherlands' Yibbi Jansen, back to the camera, celebrates after scoring her side's first goal during the women's gold medal field hockey match between China and Netherlands at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Colombes, France. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Netherlands' Yibbi Jansen, second from left, celebrates after scoring her side's first goal during the women's gold medal field hockey match between Netherlands and China at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Colombes, France. (AP Photo/ Anjum Naveed)

Netherlands' Yibbi Jansen, center, celebrates after scoring her side's first goal during the women's gold medal field hockey match between China and Netherlands at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Colombes, France. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Netherlands' Yibbi Jansen, front left, celebrates after scoring her side's first goal during the women's gold medal field hockey match between China and Netherlands at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Colombes, France. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Netherlands' Yibbi Jansen, second right, celebrates after scoring her side's first goal during the women's gold medal field hockey match between China and Netherlands at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Colombes, France. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

CANNES, France (AP) — This year's Cannes Film Festival just got going this week, but it's already been an attention-grabbing affair, from new rules for its red carpets, nerves about potential U.S. tariffs and the return of Tom Cruise.

And that says nothing about the films, expected to be a strong slate as Cannes is seen as increasingly important to the Oscars' best picture hopefuls.

Even in a normal year, Cannes is a lot to keep up with. Here's a handy guide of what's happened so far, what to expect and what it may mean.

Cannes opened Tuesday with a starry tribute to Robert De Niro, 49 years after “Taxi Driver” won the festival's top prize, the Palme d'Or. De Niro used the platform to assail U.S. President Donald Trump, a frequent target of his criticism.

He also basked in the adoration of some of film's elite, including Leonardo DiCaprio and Quentin Tarantino.

Cannes debuted a complex 4K restoration of “The Gold Rush,” one of Charlie Chaplin’s most beloved silent masterpieces, timed to the film's 100th anniversary. “Our grandfather would be really proud to see this, a hundred years later, to see all you here and interested in seeing the film,” said Kiera Chaplin to a packed screening Tuesday.

Tom Cruise took the spotlight on Day 2 with the latest “Mission: Impossible” installment, “Final Reckoning.” For such a high-flying franchise, Cruise kept his feet on the ground (so far) ahead of the film's premiere. That kept up with a recent trend — gone are the days of fighter jet flyovers, Jerry Seinfeld in a bee costume and other big stunts.

On Thursday, news broke that the festival had barred French actor Théo Navarro-Mussy from attending the premiere of the competition entry “Case 137” in what's believed to be a first for the festival in the #MeToo era. Navarro-Mussy has been accused of rape in a case that remains on appeal.

On Friday, Bono premiered his documentary, “Bono: Stories of Surrender." In a wide-ranging interview, the rock superstar talked about the insights the project has given him (including a deeper appreciation for his late father), his concerns about the dismantling of USAID and his first impression of Pope Leo XIV.

Ari Aster also debuted his COVID-era film “Eddington” to mixed reviews.

AP Film Writer Jake Coyle broke down some of the key things about the festival in a thorough primer. Among the things to watch out for: any effects of Trump's talk about tariffs on foreign-made films at the world's largest film market. The festival serves as the start of Oscar season and there's a packed field vying for this year's Palme d'Or.

Outside of competition, there's some starry first-time directors: Scarlett Johansson with “Eleanor the Great,” Kristen Stewart with “The Chronology of Water” and Harris Dickinson with “Urchin.”

Their films are not in the main competition, but as Brazilian director Kleber Mendonça Filho told Coyle about debuting a film at Cannes: “You release a film into that Colosseum-like situation.” He noted premiering a movie at the festival is akin to “a potential invitation to a beheading.”

One of the buzziest moves by Cannes this year so far has been its proclamation that nudity is banned by festivalgoers and so too are “voluminous” outfits, in particular those with a large train.

The move to ban nude looks comes amid the “naked dress” trend on red carpets, including Bianca Censori's Grammys look and many of the outfits worn by Vanity Fair party attendees after the Oscars.

Cannes press officers said earlier this week the festival “made explicit in its charter certain rules that have long been in effect.”

So how did stars at Cannes respond?

Halle Berry, who is on the festival jury headed by Juliette Binoche, told reporters she would abide by it and had changed her opening night look.

While risque looks were in short supply Monday, there were certainly some “voluminous outfits,” including dresses worn by Heidi Klum, Chinese actor Wan QianHui and others.

For more coverage of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, visit https://apnews.com/hub/cannes-film-festival.

Leonardo DiCaprio, left, and jury president Juliette Binoche pose for photographers during the opening ceremony of the 78th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Tuesday, May 13, 2025. (Photo by Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP)

Wan QianHui poses for photographers during the opening ceremony red carpet of the 78th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Tuesday, May 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Tom Cruise, left, and director Christopher McQuarrie pose for photographers during the photo call for the film 'Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning' at the 78th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)

Hannah Waddingham poses for photographers during the photo call for the film 'Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning' at the 78th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)

Jury president Molly Manning Walker poses for photographers at the photo call for the Un Certain Regard jury at the 78th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)