Vaulting: German double victory in the Nations’ Cup, Prize of the Sparkasse
A double victory for the host nation: The Germany I Team won the Prize of Sparkasse, the Nation’s Cup, when the vaulting competitions came to a close in the Albert-Vahle Arena. The team – comprising of RSV Neuss-Grimlinghausen, Erik Oese and Corinna Knauf – ranked first with a score of 25.825 ahead of Germany II (24.924) and the French team (24.184). Last year’s individual winners, Stefan Csandl and Theresa Thiela, headed the ranking in the Pas-de-deux competition.
Even if the Germans no longer head the field in each competition of each classification and a lot of countries have drawn level with the pioneering nation of the vaulting sport over the past years, the protégées of the national coach, Ulla Ramge, are still in a class of their own when it comes down to the Nations’ Cup competitions. “We have once again succeeded in coming first and second at the CHIO, where the world’s top vaulters compete. That makes me proud,” the national coach commented. “We are still unbeatable in the team classification,” stated the 50-year-old.
Above all Corinna Knauf took everyone by surprise. The young vaulter from Cologne came to Aachen with the aim of qualifying for the European Championships. After performing the best freestyle routine among the German ladies, she impressively achieved her objective. The 20-year-old also secured herself a place in Germany’s first Nations’ Cup team. The young athlete convinced in this competition on her horse Fabiola with sister, Alexandra Knauf, at the end of the lunging rein. “This team gives me enormous strength, I can rely on both of them one hundred percent,” Knauf commented overjoyed after her freestyle test, for which she was awarded the highest score of all competitors (8.645). She continued by explaining that her sister Alexandra knows exactly when she needs to push on the Westphalian-bred gelding during the choreography to the Whitney-Houston hit, “I will always love you”, so that she can put in a perfect performance.
The strong Germany I team is rounded off by Erik Oese, the winner of the men’s classification, who gained a solid lead with his freestyle routine on the theme of “Prince” with his horse Calvador (Lunger: Andreas Bäßler) after achieving a score of 8.638, which put RSV Neuss-Grimlinghausen, who competed last, in a favourable position. The serial winners from the Rhineland also managed to assert themselves against the fellow competitors in the grand final. “The freestyle went much better today than yesterday,” Schmitz assessed and was especially proud of her “Seniors” Antje Hill and Elisabeth Simon. The two athletes had actually finished their careers, but had to stand in at short notice as a result of two team members not being able to compete due to injuries. Hill, team World Champion in 2006, after not vaulting for two years: “To be honest I was totally out of breath in the training sessions at the start. But now it feels like I never stopped.”
Second place in the Nations’ Cup went to the team comprising of VV Ingelsberg, Thomas Brüsewitz and Kristina Boe. The vaulting group from Bavaria, who are coached by FN master of vaulting, Alexander Hartl, clocked up a score of 8.449 on Lazio. The youngster Brüsewitz on Airbus and Boe on Don de la Mar, contributed the rest of the points after delivering strong performances. The French team coached by Davy Delaire – comprising of the World Champion Nicolas Andreani, the Ecurie de la Cigogne team and Manon Noel – finished third.
The Austrian vaulters Stefan Csandl and Theresa Thiel secured first place in the Pas-de-deux competition in the morning with a score of 7.807 on Jarl, lunged by Lasse Kristensen, finishing ahead of their fellow compatriots Evelyn Freund and Stefanie Millinger on Robin (Score: 7.77/Lung: Nina Rossin).