Huge honour for unsworth as she passes flag in home town

In her hometown, Laura Unsworth - the nation’s most decorated hockey player - has been rewarded with an incredible honour at Monday evening's closing ceremony of the Birmingham 2022

Commonwealth Games. She will pass the Commonwealth Games Federation flag to Australia ahead of the Victoria 2026 games. This will be the first time ever for an athlete to have this honour.

No current player has more caps for England and Great Britain women than Laura; the Sutton Coldfield athlete has recently passed the 300 mark. The East Grinstead player said: “It’s an

absolute honour to hand it over in my home city of Birmingham to Victoria. I was speechless when I was asked. Birmingham has put on a fantastic Games and for me the highlight has got to be

winning that gold medal on my fourth time trying, it’s been an absolute whirlwind and the best 24 hours of my life. "The city has been alive and the crowds at every single game have

been incredible and they have been our twelfth man at times.” England won a first ever Commonwealth Games gold after a superb 2-0 victory against Australia on Sunday afternoon. With one gold

and two bronze Olympic medals, Laura became the most decorated hockey player in British history. In 2016 she was awarded an MBE for services to hockey. LAURA’S KEY MEDALS: Olympic gold Rio

2016 Olympic bronze London 2012, Tokyo 2020 World Cup bronze medal 2010 European gold 2015 European silver 2013 European bronze 2019, 2017, 2011 Commonwealth Games gold 2022 Commonwealth

Games silver 2014 Commonwealth Games bronze 2018, 2010 Champions Trophy silver 2012 Champions Trophy bronze 2010 World League bronze 2013