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TOKYO, Aug. 7,202 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/--

A Golden Moment for Swedish Showjumping

by Louise Parkes

It's almost a century since Sweden last won Olympic Jumping Team gold, and when

they did it tonight they did it with both style and grace.

A magnificent performance all week from Henrik von Eckermann with King Edward,

Malin Baryard-Johnson and Indiana and Peder Fredricson with All In led to high

expectations that this could be the night they would bring the ultimate honour

back to their country for the first time in 97 years. But it wouldn't be easy.

As the final competition played itself out it came down to a head-to-head with

the feisty American threesome of Laura Kraut with Baloutinue, Jessica

Springsteen with Don Juan van de Donhoeve and McLain Ward with Contagious, and

they wouldn't be handing anything over without a fight. The two sides completed

today's first round with eight faults apiece, and the battle lines were drawn.

Belgium was already assured of bronze when collecting 12 faults in the opening

round. Team France looked set to be the biggest threat to all others when

single time faults from both Simon Delestre and Berlux Z and Mathieu Billot

with Quel Filou, in the opening round left them sitting pretty before Penelope

Leprevost set off. But elimination at the third fence for Vancouver de Lanlore

shattered the French dream of repeating the glory they enjoyed five years ago

in Rio de Janeiro.

So Pieter Devos (Claire Z), Jerome Guery (Quel Homme de Hus) and Gregory

Wathelet (Nevados S) could sit back in the knowledge that the third step of the

podium would belong to Belgium.

Final showdown

With all three team members returning to the ring for the final showdown it was

Kraut who led the way for the USA with her 11-year-old gelding, scorching

through the finish in 41.33 seconds to set the pace. And although Sweden's von

Eckermann took a new route he was a little slower when breaking the beam in

42.00 seconds with King Edward who, sensationally, never lowered a single pole

in five rounds of tough jumping this week.

Springsteen returned clear for USA in 42.95 seconds so when Baryard-Johnsson

was quicker, crossing the line in 41.89, the Swedes already had a small

advantage. But Ward was next to go, and shaving seconds off all those ahead of

him he raced through the finish in 39.92 to really put it up to Swedish

anchorman Fredricson.

As he set off you could read the complete determination on Fredricson's face.

Did he feel the tension as he galloped down to the last fence, knowing what was

hanging in the balance?

In the end just 1.3 penalty points separated the two sides, but the joy in the

aftermath for both teams was palpable. They'd been in a fair fight and the best

side had won. No hard feelings, just delight in great sport played out between

great opponents.

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