Annan's golden gift to Australia

Australia took their fourth successive gold medal in the Women's Champions' Trophy in the Olympic hockey stadium here yesterday in a thrilling final before a large crowd in temperatures nearing the 80s.

The world champions beat Germany 2-1 with a golden goal from player of the tournament, Alyson Annan, seven minutes into extra time, having fallen behind when the English umpire Gill Clarke (in charge of her 100th international) played an advantage to allow Britta Becker to score.

Within five minutes Australia were on terms as Katrina Powell punished hesitancy in defence. Australia had the majority of the game and well deserved the title; the Netherlands took the bronze medal with a 5-2 win over the Olympic silver medallists, Korea.

Great Britain scored their second successive victory over the United States, the World Cup bronze medallists, with a 3-0 win to finish fifth, having beaten the Americans 2-1 in their last pool game.

Yesterday, Karen Brown, who in the first game against the US had set an international record with 258 caps, set Britain on their way from the penalty spot, but it was not until late in the game that 17-year-old Lucilla Wright. with her first international goal, and Purdy Miller scored too.

GREAT BRITAIN: C Rose (Sutton Coldfield); J Empson (Canterbury), K Brown (Slough), J Mould (Balsam Leicester), L Copeland (Slough); L Newcombe (Hightown), K Bowden (Balsam Leicester), M Davies (Sutton Coldfield, capt); S Blanks (Balsam Leicester), J Smith (Slough), T Cullen (Hightown). Substitutes used: J Sixsmith (Sutton Coldfield), L Wright (Olton), D Marston-Smith (Clifton), P Miller (Balsam Leicester).

United States: A Wieland; J Reeve, capt, P Meiss, C Debow, K Kauffman; K James, T Fuchs, K Holmes; M Thorpe, T Maguire, E Tchou. Substitutes used: J Salisbury, C Tagliente, M Storrar, C Schwarz.

Umpires: U Couen (Ger), M Kamisuki (Japan).