Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat and 11-year-old mare Dynamix De Belheme have gained the person silver medal within the Paris 2024 Olympic showjumping remaining.
“It’s so uncommon to get an Olympic [individual] medal, and that is my second. I’m so pleased with my mare,” stated Steve.
Germany’s Christian Kukuk and 14-year-old gelding Checker 47 took gold, and Maikel van der Vleuten of the Netherlands claimed bronze with 14-year-old Beauville Z.
The three have been the one mixtures from 30 to make it via to the jump-off to battle it out for the person medals.
Leaping in reverse order of time from the primary spherical, Christian and Checker 47 set off throughout the shortened course comprising fences 1, 2, 16, 7, 10b and c, 12b and 17. They threw down the gauntlet, coming residence with a incredible clear spherical in 38.34 sec. Subsequent to go was Maikel who set out which means enterprise, however Beauville Z clipped 10b to come back residence on 4 faults in 39.12sec.
It was then right down to Steve and the athletic Dynamix De Belheme to maintain the fences up and beat Christian’s time for the gold. The pair made a valiant effort, making snappy turnbacks and leaping the Eiffel tower fence (fence 7) on an angle. They jumped cleanly out of the double, however hopes of taking the gold have been dashed when a decent turnback to the penultimate fence, a giant vertical, didn’t repay and the rail got here down for 4 faults. The ultimate fence stayed up and so they stopped the clock on 38.38 to win the Olympic showjumping particular person silver medal.
“The Olympics are concerning the medal, after all gold stays gold, however to have a second medal can also be very particular. My mare has been spectacular at the moment, and naturally I’m very upset about my jump-off however it’s actually not what I need to give attention to,” stated Steve, who gained European particular person gold with Dynamix in Milan final 12 months.
“I’m proud and blissful about our second medal, and the color is sweet as effectively.”
Steve stated forward of his second spherical that he “knew it was doable”, however that jump-offs are the mare’s “weak point”.
“I’ve identified that for over a 12 months, and I’m attempting to coach as a lot as doable, however you don’t get so many tries [at jump-offs]. Right now I used to be form of assured as a result of it was do-able, the time was not completely loopy,” he stated.
“From fence one to 2 I had an excellent flip, however then she overjumped quantity two. I added a stride to quantity three and misplaced time, and I believed ‘Okay, now I’ve to do one thing’, and then you definately lose just a little little bit of give attention to the horse [because you’re thinking] concerning the time, so it was a large number.
“My jump-off positively was not ok, however I don’t thoughts. I’ll have sufficient time to consider all this sooner or later, and proper now I simply need to benefit from the medal I’ve gained, not the one I’ve misplaced.”
Steve had a difficult begin to his Paris Olympics marketing campaign when Switzerland did not make it via to the group remaining after ending twelfth within the qualifier. However Dynamix De Belheme discovered her kind yesterday once they posted a crisp and speedy clear within the particular person qualifying spherical, with Steve stating the mare was “again to herself”.
Steve expanded on his ideas from yesterday about Dynamix’s preparations for Paris.
“We have been in all probability missing one large present earlier than we got here right here,” he stated. “Our final large class was in La Baule, after which she solely had just a few small courses inbetween. The primary day [in Paris] was fairly powerful, and we have been simply probably not into it so we had a really dangerous spherical, not due to the consequence however as a result of the way in which the spherical went made me actually unhappy to indicate my mare like that.
“However luckily we have been in a position to flip again and I used to be in a position to present everybody how nice she is.”
Steve, who gained particular person gold at London 2012, stated this second Olympic medal is “significantly vital”.
“The second is further particular as a result of my scenario is completely different, I used to be very younger in London,” he stated.
“It does change your life, however I generally assume that I didn’t recognize it on the time. I had just a few regrets after London that I didn’t take pleasure in it sufficient, going from present to indicate with my head down. Now that I’ve grown up, I’m positively going to understand it rather more. I’ve an incredible household, particularly my spouse and my daughter so I’m going to spend just a little bit extra time within the coming months with them.”
The primary spherical of the ultimate was filled with drama and as action-packed as you get as prime mixtures succumbed to Santiago Varela and Gregory Bodo’s tumultuous monitor. Britain’s group gold medallists Ben Maher and Scott Brash jumped pretty rounds however collected 4 faults apiece, as did group silver medallist Laura Kraut.
There was shock when Swedish favorite Henrik von Eckermann took an unplanned dismount between fences from King Edward, Martin Fuchs misplaced a stirrup and whereas he continued with Leone Jei they knocked the final fence, and penultimate mixture, Eire’s Shane Sweetnam and James Kaan Cruz seemed promising however completed on 12 faults. Final to go within the first spherical was home-side rider Julien Epaillard, who had 4 faults with Dubai Du Cedre.
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Credit score: Peter Nixon
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