Herbert ready for Olympic call-up

Jersey's Beckie Herbert says she is ready to join up with the Great Britain Olympic hockey squad, despite the slim chance of her being needed.

She is third reserve, meaning several players would need to withdraw before the Games for her to be called up.

However, 23-year-old Herbert says she is ready to play if necessary.

She told the BBC: "It's disappointing, but you know it's happened and I've just got to get on with it and do the best that I can for the squad."

The former Jersey College for Girls student helped Great Britain beat Olympic rivals New Zealand 2-0 in hot and steamy conditions in Hong Kong on Monday.

"Hopefully I'll be able to get out there for London"
Beckie Herbert

The unofficial training match, the squad's final game in preparation for the Games, was aimed at helping the players acclimatize to the heat they will face in China.

The game was probably Herbert's last for Great Britain until the Beijing Games are over, although she is trying to remain positive about the future.

"Hopefully I'll be able to get out there for London, it would be massive," she added.

"Given what's happened this year, I'm even hungrier for it now, but it's a long way to go till then and there's plenty of tournaments and plenty of things to prepare for before we get to that point."

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