GB women top group at flag football World Championships to boost Olympic hopes

The Great Britain women’s flag football team have progressed to the knockout phase as winners of their group at the World Championships in Germany, taking a step closer to securing a place at the 2028 Olympic Games.

Flag football, the non-contact version of American football, will make its Olympic debut in Los Angeles, and this tournament is the first opportunity for national teams to earn qualification. Great Britain’s women, currently ranked third in the world and two-time defending European champions, opened their campaign on Thursday with a 33-14 win over France and a narrow 26-25 victory against China.

On Friday, they sealed top spot in their group by beating Austria 47-26. The result set up a quarter-final tie against Panama on Saturday at 09:30 BST. Should they advance, they could meet defending champions the United States in the semi-finals later the same day.

With two Olympic berths on offer this weekend, excluding hosts USA, Great Britain’s women would still have a second chance to qualify even if they lose in the quarter-finals or semi-finals, as the bronze-medal match would also provide a qualifying route.

The Great Britain men’s team, ranked 12th in the world, had a less successful tournament. They finished bottom of their group after losses to Italy (21-12), France (43-32) and Panama (33-27). They will now compete in ranking matches to determine places ninth to 16th, starting with a game against Switzerland.

The finals and bronze-medal matches are scheduled for Sunday in Dusseldorf.