On the road to Rio!

Nicola White

NICOLA White saluted the support from her home town after helping her Great Britain team to World League glory and qualification for next year’s Olympic Games in Rio.

Victory in the tournament in Valencia last night means Oldham star White will now get the chance to pitch for a place in next summer’s squad, having won Olympic bronze at London 2012.

The top three finishers in Valencia won Olympic qualification, but White’s Great Britain went on to win the tournament with a 2-0 win over China last night.

Hopefully White will earn a second Games call after starring throughout the latest event, but after the China triumph the overriding feeling was one of pride.

White said: “The whole team is incredibly proud after beating China and crucially guaranteeing GB a spot at Rio 2016. Not only that, butthis has been my first senior tournament win and to do so under such pressure is absolutely brilliant.

“We put in an enormous amount of preparation prior to coming here, and it all came together. A massive thank you for all your support back home in Oldham too; it really means a lot to me.”