Team GB’s women’s football squad will be led by an Olympic champion at Tokyo 2020 with Hege Riise confirmed as head coach for the Games.
Riise was part of the Norwegian team who won gold at Sydney 2000, upsetting all-conquering USA with an extra time golden goal.
The 51-year-old will renew her relationship with the Games as Great Britain line up in the 12-team tournament from 21 July to 6 August.
“I know first-hand as a former player just how huge the Olympics are as a tournament and I am enormously proud to have this opportunity to lead the GB squad into the Games,” said Riise.
“We will go there to give everything we have to be successful and I hope we can also use the power of the Games to help women’s football continue to grow in popularity.
“I thank The FA for their trust in me, and also the National Lottery for the backing they are giving to the team.
“This kind of strong support is so important if we are to go there and perform to the best of our abilities.”
Riise, who won the World Cup and European Championship as a player, hung up her boots in 2006 and was assistant coach of USWNT from 2009.
In January, she was appointed interim head coach of England Women and will combine that role with leadership of the Great Britain team in Japan.
Riise will be assisted by Canadian Rhian Wilkinson, as with the Lionesses. Wilkinson won Olympic bronze as a player London 2012.
Baroness Sue Campbell, The FA’s director of women’s football, said: “We could not have been more impressed with the impact that Hege and Rhian have had.
“I am in no doubt that Hege and Rhian’s Olympic experience and management expertise will provide the squad with the best possible opportunity to succeed at the Tokyo Games.
"We want this to be another pivotal moment for women’s football on the global stage.”
Great Britain will benefit from backing from the National Lottery in the lead-up to Tokyo, with funding to support a warm-up international on home soil and other needs.
They secured qualification thanks to England’s run to the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup semi-finals, with the FA the nominated country from the home nations to deliver the programme.
Team GB will learn their group stage opponents when the draw is made on 12 April in Tokyo.
Nine other nations have been confirmed to compete in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, United States and Zambia.
The remaining two places will go to the winners of the play-offs being held next month between Cameroon v Chile and Korea Republic v China.
Sportsbeat 2021