EDINBURGH'S Stephen Dick won't reap the benefits of Great Britain's fifth-place finish in the Olympic hockey tournament.
Britain convincingly beat Korea 5-2 today to secure their best-ever placing since at the Olympics since they won gold in Seoul 20 years ago.
The win also qualifies them for the prestigious Champions Trophy but 23-year-old Dick will be ruled out.
"It's the highlight of the annual hockey calendar but we compete as England, Scotland and Wales and the English team will be taking the place," said Dick.
"It's frustrating but it's something we knew about before we came out here.
"I got to play in it this year because Britain can compete in the Olympic year and playing in that environment is just an awesome experience and it really progresses you as a player.
"I wish something could change there but I don't think it will happen."
Despite just missing out on the semi-finals, Britain's men can certainly take home plenty of positives from their performances in Beijing.
A 4-2 win over Pakistan got them off on the right foot and they finished in a similar fashion by bagging their first win over Korea in 18 years.
After a goalless first half, the game exploded into life after the break when Richard Mantell crossed for Barry Middleton to prod home.
Korea hit straight back with Jong Hyun Jang expertly dispatching a penalty corner only for Ashley Jackson to re-establish Britain's lad with a penalty flick after Richard Alexander had been impeded.
Dick was then involved in the move of the match as Korea were hit on the counter attack with the Edinburgh University unselfishly crossing for Jonty Clarke to finish from close range.
Clarke got his second as he rounded the keeper and, although Hye Sung Hyun converted another penalty corner, a late own goal saw Britain home and dry.
Two years ago Britain were ranked 11th in the world – now they are giving hockey big guns Netherlands and Australia a run for their money.
And with home backing in four years' time, Dick believes the squad can finally step out of the shadow of Sean Kerly and the heroes of 1988.
"It's been a really positive tournament for us," added midfielder Dick, who plays for Inverleith.
"We're disappointed not to make the semi-finals but we're going home having considerably improved our world ranking.
"The draw against Australia really boosted our confidence and then to beat Korea in quite a convincing manner was a really good end to the tournament.
"They are traditionally one of the fittest teams around and they were dead on their feet by the end. It shows how much our fitness work has paid off.
"I really think we have closed the gap on the big four teams. They are still ahead of us in a few areas but we are closing ground the whole time.
"We've got to be targeting a medal at the next Olympics now."
Meanwhile, Terry Edwards told British boxing fans to strap themselves in for a pugilistic masterclass when middleweight James DeGale goes for gold against Cuba's Emilio Correa Bayeaux later today. Pressure has been a word used constantly by those inside the GB boxing camp – some boxers have crumbled under the weight of expectation while DeGale has flourished under the spotlight.
The 22-year-old produced a masterful display to dispose of Ireland's Darren Sutherland in the semi-finals yesterday while super heavyweight David Price and light heavyweight Tony Jeffries fell at the same stage. DeGale will start as underdog against Correa, who he has lost to twice before but, after upsetting the odds against both Sutherland and world champion Baktiyar Artayez, British head coach Edwards insists his man can rip up the form book once again.
He said: "James is a bundle of fun to work with and he is a class act. He is a connoisseurs' boxer. If you are into boxing and I mean boxing, not fighting, when this fella has got his head on he is a dream to watch. I did not want his fight against Sutherland to end because it was absolutely superb.
"He has had four bouts now and every single bout in my opinion has got better and better and better. It will be a difficult fight – he has boxed him twice and lost narrowly twice.
"But that was in preparation for a qualification tournament and there's far more on the line in the final."
With two bronze medals and a least a silver in the bag, this Olympics has been Britain's most successful boxing campaign since 1956.
Yet even then fights in the ring have been made to seem like pillow-fights compared to the behind-the-scenes politics in the Amateur Boxing Association.
The leaking of news this week that welterweight Billy Joe Saunders was suspended by the ABA was seen as a deliberate attempt to undermine Britain's three semi-finalists.
And, coming after the criticism he received for gold medal hopeful Frankie Gavin's failure to make the lightweight limit, the Edwards pleaded with his enemies just to let him do his job.
He added: "I am not going to get arguments with people sitting in armchairs telling me what to do.
"I came here to do a job, I don't know what their agenda is. My agenda is to get boxers through to the finals and I feel I have done my job.
"I find the timing of it all unbelievable. If there are grievances, they can be dealt with at the right time and that was not the right time. It's been a difficult couple of days for me personally."
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