HOCKEY - Charlotte hides her Beijing sadness

Overlooked Black Stick Charlotte Harrison was taking a philosophical approach to missing out on this year's Beijing Olympics.
"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, I guess," she said yesterday.
Finding out on Sunday that she had been omitted from the final Olympics squad came as a huge shock to the Whangarei 18-year-old, after she was an integral part of the team in the long lead-up campaign to Beijing.
"It's been nearly three years since I first got in and to be in the team for that long and get dropped in the final moment came as a huge surprise," she said.
If there were any hints dropped by the coaching staff about her impending exclusion from the squad on their recent tour of China, she said they sailed right over her head.
"I was told I was playing well in China, which is why I wasn't really expecting it ... nothing was said to me and no reasons behind it were given," Harrison said.
Black Sticks coach Kevin Towns said earlier in the week that competition for the final 16 places in the Olympic team had been intense, and that Harrison had competed unsuccessfully for the final striker's position with another 18-year-old talent, Midland's Gemma Flynn.
The Northland international said Flynn's progress in the squad in the short time she has been part of the squad had been noticeable.
"Gemma played all right in China ... she's definitely stepped up a lot since she made the squad and improved heaps," Harrison said. Harrison finally met with coach Kevin Towns yesterday afternoon and expects to be confirmed as one of two players the Black Sticks will have on standby for the Beijing tournament.
She is glad to have had the opportunity to speak with her coach and now wants to get on with her life.
"When it comes to events like this, selection is always a stress for the players, everyone was feeling a bit under pressure but that's just how it is I suppose.
"Some of my teammates have been very supportive and some of them were gutted (when I wasn't picked) but they can't really say too much, it's just the way the whole process works."
For anyone hoping that New Zealand's loss might be Northland's gain, there may more discouraging news.
"If I play NHL this year it'll definitely be for Northland but there's a possibility I'll be going overseas at that time, so we'll have to wait and see," Harrison said.
The Whangarei teenager has been approached about playing club hockey in Belgium later in the year.
"I'm still young so there will be other opportunities for me to go to the Olympics in the future but for now, we'll just have to wait and see," she said.