Mariah Williams puts it very simply: "definitely not erased, definitely fuels the fire".
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The Olympic heartbreak of Tokyo is driving Williams as the Hockeyroos look to set the record straight at back-to-back international tournaments in 2022.
The 26-year-old, a Hunter Sports High School graduate, wants to make the most of maiden appearances at the World Cup and Commonwealth Games.
Despite having debuted for the Australian women's team almost a decade ago and approaching 100 Test caps, injury curtailed Williams ahead of each event in both 2014 and 2018.
Now, feeling fully fit and set for a recently announced tour of New Zealand, the Souths striker feels like righting the wrongs after falling short of a medal at her second Olympics.
"Definitely not erased, definitely fuels the fire," Williams told the Newcastle Herald.
"That game and that tournament for a fair few of us. Knowing that we went through all the rounds undefeated, getting into the quarter-final and going down there.
"Something that definitely fuels the fire for us and gives us that little bit of belief.
"I think it was probably the first time in a while I've felt really confident in the group and what we can do on the field. I think everyone on the pitch felt the same.
"So it's definitely not erased, but then again we've got a new squad and a few retirements so we definitely have to build, take our learnings from Tokyo and move forward to the World Cup and Commonwealth Games."
Williams feels like a podium beckons at the World Cup, played in Spain and Holland from July 1 to 17, and the Commonwealth Games, taking place in Birmingham from July 28 to August 8.
"If not the Olympics, a World Cup is the next pinnacle event so for us it's really important to do well," she said.
"But my goal isn't just going to a World Cup, I want to push our team to win a medal.
"We have a lot lying on the line really, especially after the Olympics. We definitely want to do our best, step up and show everyone we're good enough to win a medal."
The Hockeyroos travel across the Tasman to tackle the Black Sticks in Auckland next month (May 10-15), using the four-Test series as a springboard for selections.
Meanwhile, a Jeremy Hayward hat trick helped the Kookaburras defeat Malaysia 5-0 in Perth on Tuesday night. Australia, including Newcastle's Ky Willott, will look to clean sweep the men's four-Test series when it wraps up on Thursday.
Also, local under-18 players Lukas Gremm (Souths) and Ryan Woolnough (Norths) were named in the Hockey Australia Men's Futures Squad released on Wednesday.
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Josh Callinan
My name is Josh Callinan and I'm a sports journalist at the Newcastle Herald. I started with the newspaper in 2016 after a decade at the Maitland Mercury.
My name is Josh Callinan and I'm a sports journalist at the Newcastle Herald. I started with the newspaper in 2016 after a decade at the Maitland Mercury.
