The Olympic dressage workforce medals got here right down to the wire, with Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and TSF Dalera BB securing a 3rd successive Olympic dressage workforce gold medal for Germany in a tense finale, that will probably be talked about and debated for months to come back.
It was billed as a conflict of the titans that will be determined by the smallest margins – and in that sense it delivered.
Going into the ultimate spherical, Germany was on 155.836 and Denmark on 154.453.
Regardless of a mistake within the one-time modifications, Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and Freestyle scored 81.22% – the best rating of the day – in an in any other case spectacular check, leaving the Danes on a workforce whole of 235.669.
That meant Jessica and Dalera needed to rating 79.83% to retain the gold – which underneath regular circumstances you’d assume shouldn’t be an issue for this mix.
However this was an uncharacteristic check, with an costly mistake within the piaffe, which Dalera usually excels in, and call points all through.
The mix did produce a outstanding remaining centre line, however there was a dramatic wait till the ultimate collective marks got here in to see who would take the gold – with most pondering Denmark would nonetheless clinch it.
However then got here a German roar from the gang as 79.95% got here up on the large display in Versailles. Jessica burst into a large smile and punched her hand within the air, delighted.
That left Germany on a workforce whole of 285.790 a outstanding 0.121 forward of Denmark who received their first-ever Olympic dressage workforce silver medal.
“It was fairly good till the transition to piaffe,” mentioned Jessica, who admitted she didn’t know what rating she wanted to hit earlier than entering into. “We had an enormous misunderstanding which price numerous factors however after and earlier than that, she felt superb and I’m tremendous grateful to have her as my dancing associate.
“It was too thrilling, to be trustworthy – I don’t want that, however in the long run we did it!”
In some ways, this gold medal was received earlier within the day by Isabell Werth and Wendy, who produced a show-stopping check to attain yet one more private better of 79.89%.
Few would’ve anticipated a couple of months in the past they’d be hitting these scores at an Olympic Video games, however they’ve simply saved on enhancing and will get even higher nonetheless.
“That was an actual thriller immediately,” mentioned Isabell, for whom this was a outstanding eighth Olympic gold medal. “I didn’t imagine what I used to be seeing. I didn’t assume we’d get it, however every level was vital in the long run and all of it labored out.
“Nobody can say dressage is boring now!”
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Credit score: FEI
Credit score: Peter Nixon
Credit score: Future
