THERE was drama until the end of the team show jumping competition at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, with the gold medal eventually going the way of Sweden, some 97 years after they won gold in Paris in 1924.

Just as they had three years ago at the World Equestrian Games, Sweden and USA jumped off for the gold medal, but this time Sweden got on top producing three more clear rounds against the clock.

Over the final jump-off course, each team riders from both countries were clear again, but Sweden’s combined time of 122.90 seconds edged out the USA’s 124.20 seconds. It was just reward for the team who knocked only two poles over six rounds of jumping.

Individual silver medallist Peder Fredricson and All In who, remarkably, over two Olympic Games in Rio and Tokyo only knocked a single pole (in the first round of team final), clinched the victory when last to go against the clock. He had to be quicker than 40.31 seconds and duly delivered with a classy round in 39.01.

“Oh, the pressure was on!”, he admitted. “My god, in these situations when you have two teams like this you really want to win. McLain was fast, I saw his round and I knew what I had to do, and today the poles stayed up and the time was on my side!

“I had the speed and I gave him (All In) a lot of room. He’s in super shape, but I was really worried he would take the front pole with his hindlegs, but he came up!” Fredricson said after breaking the beam in an amazing 39.01 seconds to seal the victory.

Over six rounds of show jumping, Henrik von Eckermann’s 11-year-old gelding King Edward did not touch a pole in Tokyo, while Malin Baryard-Johnsson (Indiana) only had one fence in the competition.

Both Fredricson and Baryard-Johnsson were part of the team that won the silver medal at Athens in 2004.

"It’s a dream come true - to win an Olympic gold medal I think that’s every athlete’s dream for sure!” said Baryard-Johnsson. We’ve been so well prepared for everything at this championship, we’ve not missed out on anything, we have a team behind us that’s incredible. All of us, the way we’ve ridden shows how confident we’ve been and how they’ve all made it possible for us to totally focus on what to do in there.

"We knew it was very possible for a jump-off because it was only one round and we knew we didn’t want the silver medal this time!”

Laura Kraut led the USA charge with Baloutinue when clear in the first round, joined by Jessica Springsteen (Don Juan Van De Donkhoeve) and McLain Ward (Contagious), who both had four faults, before all three went on to be clear in the jump-off.

“We just didn’t give up," said Kraut. “It was hard-fought and Sweden were incredible all week, so if you’re going to lose you’re going to lose to them, and we can live with that!"

Laura Kraut and Baloutinue helped the USA to team silver at the Tokyo Olympic Games \ Sportsfile

Bronze went to the Belgian team of Pieter Devos (Claire Z), Jerome Guery (Quel Homme De Hus) and Gregory Wathelet (Nevados S) who finished the first round on a total of 12 faults.

How it went

The best 10 teams after yesterday’s qualifier made it through to the final which was full of surprises. Santiago Varela keep the biggest track of the week for last and just four of the 29 starters went clear inside the time. They were Kraut, von Eckermann, Harrie Smolders (The Netherlands) and Jerome Guery (Belgium). Frenchmen Simon Delestre (Berlux Z) and Mathieu Billot (Quel Filou 13) both had a time fault.

After the first two riders from each team jumped, there was a break before the final line riders returned in reverse order of merit. France held pole position, ahead of Sweden and the USA.

When USA’s last line rider, McLain Ward and Contagious, finished their round with four faults, they were guaranteed at least the bronze medal.

Sweden’s Peder Fredricson and All In looked were about to produce their fifth clear round of the Games, but the final fence came down to leave Sweden drawn with the USA on eight faults.

There was heartbreak for France who, on a total of two time faults, had six faults in hand as the last rider, Penelope Leprevost, entered the arena. Her horse, Vancouver De Lanlore, took a disliking to the double at fence three and was eliminated for two refusals, dropping the team to eighth place.

The Netherlands finished fourth on 17 faults, ahead of Switzerland in fifth with 28 faults. Britain were last of the 10 today after Ben Maher decided to withdraw his individual gold medallist Explosion W when the team already had 24 faults after the first two riders and no chance of a medal.

Germany’s world number one Daniel Deusser retired when Killer Queen stopped at the middle part of the combination, which saw the team finish ninth.

Argentina were the surprise team to make it through to the team final and they finished seventh, albeit on 49 faults.

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