The young Dutchman Maikel van der Vleuten took the grand prix title at the Longines Global Champions Tour of Madrid
‘My horse deserves this medal’: rider celebrates another brilliant Olympic bronze
The Netherlands’ Maikel van der Vleuten and Beauville Z have retained the individual bronze medal they won in Tokyo, in the Paris Olympic showjumping final.
Having been one of only three clears in the first round, the combination, who also won world individual bronze and team silver in 2022, were jumping superbly in the jump-off, flying to the oxer at new fence 16, before clearing the Eiffel Tower vertical. Then at 10b, the first part of what was a double in the jump-off, both rails of the huge oxer came down. This saw them finish equal on faults with Swiss silver medallists Steve Guerdat and Dynamix De Belheme, but behind on time, on 39.12 compared to 38.38 seconds. Germany’s Christian Kukuk and Checker 47 secured gold with the only jump-off clear.
“It’s something to be unbelievably proud of,” Maikel said. “The level is so high these days and of course if you’re so close and in the past you have already won a bronze medal, you aim for more and I took that risk.
“I got the unlucky fence down in the jump-off. But still, this medal. It’s unbelievable for the third time in a big championships to be in the top three as an individual.”
Maikel paid tribute to his Dutch team-mates Harrie Smolders and Uricas V/D Kattevennen and Kim Emmen with Imagine, who together finished fourth in the team final, and who made it to the individual final but not the jump-off.
“They also deserve this medal,” he said. “Unfortunately we were just out of the top three in the team class, but they also did a fantastic job and also, [Willem Greve with Grandorado, who were originally picked for the team but were the alternate combination].”
Maikel said he thought the course was like none he had seen before.
“It was big, the jumps were difficult, it was technical,” he said. “It was very long, 15 fences including a triple combination and two doubles, and when I came through this finish I thought the way my horse did his round was unbelievable. He’s a world-class horse and he deserved more than every horse this medal.”
Maikel also paid tribute to his parents, his grandparents, wife, children and his team at home
“It’s just fantastic that I can give this back to them,” he said. “For the people who are standing day and night for me, ready. It gives a fantastic feeling.”
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