UAE's Omar Al Marzouqi concluded his participation in the final of the show jumping event at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday. The 21-year-old Emirati rider, who secured the silver medal at the Asian Games last year, accumulated eight faults with a time of 83.38 seconds. Germany's Christian Kukuk, riding his grey Gelding Checker, claimed Olympic gold with a perfect performance in the final jumpoff among the top three riders. Kukuk's win, following German victories in individual eventing, dressage, and the dressage team competition, solidified Germany's reputation as a leading equestrian nation. Swiss rider Steve Guerdat earned silver with his horse Dynamix de Belheme, while Dutch rider Maikel van der Vleuten, with horse Beauville Z, took third place. The high-stakes jumpoff among the three finalists was conducted on a shorter course compared to the initial final rides.
Earlier in the day, a major upset occurred when Sweden's showjumping star Henrik von Eckermann, the reigning world champion and a strong contender for gold, was unseated from his mount King Edward, leading to his disqualification. The approximately 16,500 spectators at the Versailles arena gasped as the gelding began to struggle midway through the course. Von Eckermann landed in the sand shortly after the horse abruptly halted. The horse, ranked as the best by analyst firm EquiRatings, did not fall, and Von Eckermann was observed walking out of the arena without visible injuries. The 15 intricately designed obstacles, inspired by Paris landmarks such as the Arc de Triomphe and Eiffel Tower, reaching up to 1.65 meters (5.41 ft), posed a significant challenge to riders and horses, resulting in fewer clear rides compared to the qualifier on Monday.
As the hooves of all but three of the world's elite jumping horses struck wood at least once during their runs, the atmosphere in the arena, situated in front of Louis XIV's renowned Palace, was filled with anxious sighs and frustrated 'aahs'. 'It's a tough course but it's the Olympic final, that's what we expect,' remarked defending Olympic champion Ben Maher from Britain after failing to advance to the jumpoff. 'It just wasn't meant to be today.'
