Kukuk claims Olympic Individual Jumping crown
With the only double-clear performance on the final day of equestrian sport at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games equestrian venue in Versailles (FRA) today, Germany’s Christian Kukuk definitively claimed the Individual Jumping title with Checker 47, while Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat took silver on Dynamix de Belheme and The Netherlands’ Maikel van der Vleuten clinched bronze with Beauville Z.
Things didn’t go Germany’s way in last week’s Team competition, but that never threw the new Olympic champion off his stride. In yesterday’s qualifier for the Individual medals, 34-year-old Kukuk and his 14-year-old grey gelding left a fence on the floor, but their fast time assured them of a place in today’s top-30 showdown.
And this time there was no mistake. On an afternoon filled with drama, excitement and gripping sport, their two foot-perfect rounds simply could not be matched.
The scale of today’s track was like nothing any of the riders had seen before. The fence measurements were colossal, with five of them standing at a massive 1.65cms and spreads as wide as 190cms. There were 15 obstacles in total with 19 big jumping efforts before they would cross the finish line.
Top step
Kukuk’s rise to the top step of the podium began when he posted the first clear in today’s opening round.
“It’s the toughest course I have ever jumped, the toughest course I have ever seen and Checker made it feel like just another Grand Prix!” Christian Kukuk (GER) he said after leaving the ring when eighth to go.
Maikel van der Vleuten quickly followed suit with Beauville Z, but for many just a single frustrating four faults would deny them a jump-off spot, several making it all the way to the final LA28 oxer before hearing that hit the ground, including America’s Laura Kraut/Baloutinue and Austria’s Max Kűhner/Elektric Blue P. The double at fence five also proved a major challenge, horses having to stretch wide across the spread at the second element, although it was the first-element vertical there that put paid to the chances of defending individual champion Ben Maher from Great Britain with Dallas Vegas Batilly.
As it came down to the final seven horse/rider partnerships there were still only two clears on the board, so the packed stadium of spectators were on the edges of their seats when longtime world number one, Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann, set off with the living legend that is King Edward. And things were going perfectly until they turned to the open water at fence six.
Sensational
As the man whose sensational record with the little 14-year-old chestnut gelding includes team gold in Tokyo three years ago explained, “we got a bit close to the water, got a high jump on that and I didn’t see the six (strides to the next) because I landed a bit steep at the water, so I really had to get him back for the seven (strides). And that made a short jump over the Paris jump and then I had to really go for the time.”
It all became a bit chaotic when they landed after the next oxer at fence eight, and in a flurry of confusion between horse and rider the pair parted company for elimination. The line of the track should have taken them right but they went in different directions when the horse dived to the left to avoid the start-sign at the edge of the arena.
Tearfully von Eckermann explained afterwards, “he’s easy to the right and I followed too much to go with him and somehow in one second he went a bit left and I lost my balance to the right. And then he got a bit upset from that and went a bit left again and I really tried to get him right but then the start stands were there and I couldn’t get him in front of that and he turned left and I went right”. It was the most unexpected departure for the multiple champions.
Third clear
But Switzerland’s Guerdat hadn’t seen all that because he was on his way into the ring to produce the third clear of the day with the smoothest of rounds from his individual European Championship winning mare, Dynamix de Belheme.
There was nothing smooth for his compatriot Martin Fuchs immediately afterwards however, because he lost his left stirrup after jumping the second element of the double at five and couldn’t get it back, somehow managing to make it all the way to the massive last oxer before Leone Jei hit that to take them out of medal contention.
The final four all faulted, including the last man into the ring, Frenchman Julien Epaillard. He was looking well on his way to making it a four-way contest in the jump-off until, to gasps of despair from the home crowd, his mare Dubai du Cedre hit the second element of the double at fence 12.
Now it was down to the final three-way face-off in which Kukuk and Checker 47 would lead the way. And they didn’t flinch, galloping home quick and clear in 38.34 seconds to put it up to the remaining two.
Van der Vleuten and Beauville Z were next in, but with a fence down in 39.12 seconds they left it open for Guerdat and Dynamix de Belheme to steal it with their last run of these Games. The Swiss star didn’t succeed however, lowering the second-last in 38.38 seconds which pushed the Dutchman down to bronze and settled him into silver medal spot.
Content
Guerdat, the 2012 individual Olympic champion with Nino des Buissonnets, said he was content with his Versailles result.
“We all aim for gold but to have to the second one (silver) is also very special! My mare has been spectacular today and of course I’m upset about my jump-off, it wasn’t what I wanted, but I want to focus with pride about our second Olympic medal!” Steve Guerdat (SUI)
“Jump-offs are still our weakness with Dynamix, for the last year I’m trying to train that as much as possible but you don’t get too many tries. Today I was kind of confident because it was doable, the time wasn’t crazy, but it was a mess, my jump-off wasn’t good enough, but I really don’t mind. I’ll have enough time to think about it in the future, but right now I just want to enjoy the medal I have won – not the one I have lost!
“I’m going to enjoy this because I have a few regrets after London (where he won gold). I feel I didn’t enjoy it enough, running from show to show, when I look back, I think this medal is so hard to have but now I have the chance to get another one. I have an amazing family, especially my wife and my daughter, so I’m definitely going to spend more time in the coming months with them”, he added.
Van der Vleuten talked about the challenge horses and riders faced today. “When I walked the course I thought I haven’t seen anything like it, so tough in every way, it was big, the jumps were difficult, it was technical, the time-allowed (84 seconds) was ok, it was very long with 15 fences including a triple combination and two doubles so it was hard for the horses. When I came through the finish I thought the way my horse did this round was unbelievable, it’s a world-class horse and he deserved this medal today”, he said.
This was the Dutchman’s second successive Olympic bronze medal with his incredibly consistent horse.
Emotional
Newly-crowned individual gold medallist Kukuk said, “this is the most emotional day in my life! This is the highest you can achieve in our sport, I’m one of only a few ones calling myself Olympic champion – Olympic gold medallist – this is something that will last forever!”
“In the next days there probably is also a lot coming up for me, but in this moment I’m just really, really proud and happy for my horse, my family, my staff, my groom, my whole team. I know that this is very lucky, and I really will enjoy this day!”
He went into that three-way jump-off full of confidence. “We only had three clear rounds so I knew I had a medal so I felt zero pressure going in the ring. I really enjoyed every single moment when I went in. I told myself, you will try your best like always and whatever happens you will accept it.
“I also I knew what my horse is able to do and what I’m able to do. We won already two Grand Prix this year, so we are very competitive. I tried to find the balance, to not overdo it and to not take the last risk. But still I was that quick that I knew the other two would have to take some risk here and there and then they might have one down. That happened to both of them. They had to try and they had one down. So, I was the only double clear and it makes me very proud!”, Kukuk said.
He is the sixth German Individual Olympic Jumping gold medallist and has now placed his name amongst the giants of the sport, including iconic compatriots Hans Gűnter Winkler, who came out on top with Halla at the 1956 Stockholm Games, Alwin Schockemöhle, winner with Warwick Rex in Montreal in 1976, and his boss Ludger Beerbaum, who claimed the title in 1992 in Barcelona partnering Classic Touch.
“This was a very wonderful day”, the new champion concluded.