INTERVIEW-Olympics-Lioness Rebecchi key to Argentine hopes

BUENOS AIRES Feb 23 (Reuters) - Argentina's women's hockey team, world and Champions Trophy title holders, this week launched their bid for the Olympic gold medal with Carla Rebecchi as a potential trump card.

Coach Carlos Retegui, who has built his team around long-serving short corner specialist Noel Barrionuevo and captain Luciana Aymar, voted World Player of the Year a record seven times, highlights what the younger Rebecchi brings to his team.

"Carla is a player who is reaching her maturity in international hockey," Retegui told Reuters. "She's very fast, incisive, vertical and she's a player who always scores goals at key moments in major tournaments. She's a player who brings a lot to the team."

It is not difficult to imagine the fearless Rebecchi kitesurfing or snowboarding, her favourite pastimes, when you see her searing attacking runs on a hockey field.

The 27-year-old was a key player as Argentina won their second world title in 2010 and a fourth Champions Trophy in five years earlier this month, both at home in Rosario, after an unexpected hiccup in October when they lost the Pan-American crown they had held since 1987.

"(The Olympic gold medal) is the title we're missing, that we very much want to win and today we began training again looking to the Games to make our best preparations so we have a chance of winning," Rebecchi told Reuters in an interview.

Las Leonas (The Lionesses) have won Olympic medals at the last three Games, silver in 2000 in Sydney, bronze in Athens and Beijing in 2008 with Rebecchi in their side.

Rebecchi, speaking after the practice at the Cenard national sports training complex a stone's throw from the giant River Plate soccer stadium on the fringe of the capital, said 2011 had been a tough year for Las Leonas with setbacks in two finals.

FRESH MIND-SET

Winners of the Champions Trophy from 2008 to 2010, Argentina led great rivals the Netherlands 3-0 in the 2011 final in Amstelveen but were pinned back to 3-3 and lost on penalties.

Then, never previously having lost a Pan-American Games final, they were upset 4-2 by the United States in the Mexican city of Guadalajara in October.

"Maybe we didn't play our best last year, but we began this year differently, with a fresh mind-set, more rested," Rebecchi said.

Having played below par and finished third in a four-team warm-up event in Cordoba in January won by Olympic hosts Britain, Argentina went improving through the Champions Trophy until their 1-0 win over the British women in the final.

"I think we had a very good tournament, we played very well in the last matches above all. I think it's a good start to the year for what's to come," Rebecchi, her hockey sticks bag on her back like a rucksack, said.

"It shows that we're doing things right and that the changes (to the team) are good. The youngest girls played very well.

"The good thing is that Argentina are maintaining themselves at the highest level. You can see hockey (in the country) has grown a lot and there are lots of players (coming through) so the team can stay as they have for the last 15 years in the top three or four places (in the rankings)."

Rebecchi, who has been living in Madrid with her partner and playing professionally for Club de Campo, is now dedicating her time fully to Las Leonas in Buenos Aires but wants to return to Spain after the Games.

There, she loves outdoor activities in her spare time, though she is careful not to let that blur her vision.

"I love to kitesurf and snowboarding, too, in winter, (but) they are extreme sports that I can't practice too much because I have to look after myself."

(Editing by Ossian Shine)

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