Spain will be in London in 2012 after the defeat of South Africa

The Spanish field hockey silver medal in Beijing 2008, will be in the next Olympic Games in London, after South Africa's decision to abandon the place he had secured the reigning African champions to get today off the end of the Champions Challenge to be played in Johannesburg.

Round the South African Olympic Committee had set as the minimum requirement for not giving up rightful place as continental champion, obsessed as it is by not sending any equipment that London has demonstrated its competitiveness in recent months.

A major decision that will benefit the Spanish team, fourth in the world rankings, will not have to go and the pre-Olympic to be held in Japan, and Spain had been relegated after being sixth in the European final.

Gift did not come without some uncertainty, as the South African group came to rest in the semifinals of the Champions Challenge you faced today with India with a 2-1 lead on the scoreboard.

This advantage disappeared in the second half, in which South Africa is completely collapsed, only to fall 4-2 to finally an Asian team, measured in the final tomorrow with Belgium, who won by 3-2 to Argentina in the shootout.

A result that will allow Spain, and to achieve the Olympic ticket, to alleviate the sadness after the loss (3-2) suffered today against Australia in the first round of the Champions Trophy to be played in New Zealand