German Spring Trio Surprises Itself
The German show jumpers have secured the favorite role for the final on Friday with an impressive qualification, remaining the only ones to go clear on their horses. They are "super happy" but also sound a note of caution.
Christian Kukuk beamed with satisfaction. "I think we did that superbly," he said after he and his equally perfect teammates had secured Germany's medal hopes in the blazing heat of Versailles with three clear rounds. First place in the qualification ahead of the USA and Great Britain, but national coach Otto Becker warned: "We haven't won anything yet, it starts all over again on Friday."
With their captivating performances, the team with Kukuk and Checker, vice-European champion Philipp Weishaupt and Zineday, and young star Richard Vogel and the outstanding United Touch, got the hearts of German fans, who haven't been spoiled in recent years, beating a little faster. A medal, which the team had optimistically set as a goal before the Olympics, is now suddenly very realistic. "It was very good, as we had hoped and dreamt of," said Becker: "We are super happy." Kukuk and Checker started flawlessly, Weishaupt and his EM hero Zineday did the same. Vogel and United Touch set the perfect final touch.
Above all, Vogel put himself in a strong position for the individual medal final on Tuesday. "We were already optimistic," said the 27-year-old, "but that we would be the only ones to go clear, I don't think anyone thought that." With that, they have a good starting position for Friday, "but that's all we've achieved today."
Germany started eleventh in the middle of the field, which benefited Kukuk and Co. Initially, world-class riders like London Olympic champion Steve Guerdat (Switzerland), who had to go fourth on the course, knocked several bars down. "That's always a disadvantage," said Kukuk, who came through with zero faults as the third rider.
Behind the German team, the USA finished with six penalty points and Great Britain with eight. The highly favored Swedes with world champion Henrik von Eckermann and his top horse King Edward found themselves in eighth place. After a knockdown and a refusal of his Catch me not, veteran Peder Fredricson returned to the arena with 17 penalty points.
In the team final on Friday (from 10:00 a.m.), it will start at zero. In case of a tie in penalty points, there will be a jump-off for the medals. The last German medal in show jumping was won by the team around Ludger Beerbaum in 2016 in Rio. The last German Olympic victory dates back to 2000 in Sydney, with Otto Becker and his legendary gray Cento in the team.
The Olympic Games 2024 in Paris is now a topic of excitement among German fans, as their show jumping team's impressive performance in the qualification has made a medal a realistic goal. Otto Becker, the national coach, echoed this sentiment, stating, "We are super happy," but also reminded everyone that "We haven't won anything yet, it starts all over again on Friday."
