By Will Castle

Hockey star Jacob Draper has been inspired to emulate the success of Seoul 1988 after rewatching Team GB’s run to that famous gold medal.

The Cwmbran-born athlete, who plays as a defender for Dutch club Pinoké, has enjoyed a rapid rise in the sport over the past few years and is now preparing to take on his second Olympic Games after impressing at Tokyo 2020.

Draper and Rupert Shipperley became the first Welshmen to represent Team GB in hockey since 2000 when competing in the Far East three years ago and with Olympic experience already under his belt, the 25-year-old now has his sights set on glory - something he is hungrier than ever to achieve after watching a motivational video with the rest of the squad.

“We watched a video and it got us all so excited,” he said. “It probably came a little early because we left the meeting thinking 'can we play some more'?

“It was a video of the Seoul 1988 team when they won gold. It was their route to it, semi-final against Australia, final against Germany and watching a team from Great Britain do what they did is incredibly special.

“Seeing how long it’s been since we’ve medalled and got a gold motivates you and I definitely felt like I wanted to be one of the individuals to put that horrible time between to bed and make sure we kickstart our own legacy.

“It was a brilliant video and kudos to the guys who set it up. We’re very fortunate that in the last training session before we came out to Paris, Richard Dodds, the captain [in Seoul], came down and spoke to us about it and his experiences.

"It was amazing to get someone who’s been there, done it and got the medal to show for it and now he’s hoping we replicate that.”

Ever since their success in Seoul, Team GB’s men have struggled to hit the same heights on the Olympic stage, failing to take home a single medal in the 36 years that have passed.

But going into Paris 2024, Draper can not speak highly enough of his teammates and is convinced that Britain possess the squad that can go all the way this summer.

“We have a squad that’s so competitive that actually getting selected is the biggest achievement,” he added. “We have a locker room of 28 guys back home that all could’ve been in the position I’m fortunate to be in.

“We know that we have some world-class players in our team. Ollie Payne is the best goalkeeper in the world and I stand by that, David Ames, Zach Wallace who’s a superstar, Phil Roper who’s unbelievable, Sam Ward who’s proven his record and quality on the world stage on numerous occasions.

“I’ve named those guys but actually, every member of this team brings something different and that’s what makes a great team. Nick Park is one of the best half-backs in the world and Jack Waller. I could be on this for the next hour and that’s what gives me confidence going into games.

“We’ve got a team that can do it and it’s about making sure we deliver it.

“I’m a big believer in if you could believe it, you can do it and we just have to believe it and hopefully get luck on our side in some ways but we’re not relying on it.

“Hopefully after Paris I’ve got a medal around my neck but who knows?”

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