A husband-and-wife team from Australia is closely tailing the German leader ahead of today's show jumping finale, after galloping to the front of the equestrian eventing competition on a sodden cross-country course in Hong Kong Monday.
Australian duo Clayton Fredericks (4th) and his wife, Lucinda (11th) closely trail the Germans in the team event, together with Megan Jones who starts today's show jumping in third position.
"Team Fredericks", as Lucinda and Clayton are often called, boosted Australia to the top of the eventing table after Saturday's dressage courtesy and will be pushing each other toward gold today.
"I will be out there to help her to get a better score," Clayton says of his wife. "I have always said that she is going to be my biggest competitor."
Australia's Megan Jones rides Irish Jester during the equestrian eventing cross country competition in Hong Kong Monday. [Agencies] |
In a softer tone, he concedes: "It's very nerve-wracking to watch your wife riding."
Hinrich Romeike, Ingrid Klimke and Andreas Dibowski are placed first, second and eighth, respectively, in the individual event after a testing round under rainy skies at Hong Kong's Beaus River course.
"I planned to press from the beginning," said Romeike, a dental surgeon, after dismounting from his horse Marius.
"If not today, then when?" he asked rhetorically in an ominous sign for his rivals, after moving up from seventh following the dressage with just 50.2 penalty points.
Romeike's compatriot, Ingrid Klimke, finished 10 seconds behind her teammate in the saddle of Abraxxas but sits just a half point behind overall based on her superior dressage score.
"It passed so quickly that I wished to go again because it was so much fun," said Klimke, clearly excited by her chances today.
Just one four-point rail penalty divides the Australian and German teams heading into the gold medal decider after Saturday's dressage and the cross-country.
No rider managed to finish Monday's 29-fence course in eight minutes, the requisite time for avoiding penalties, with a number opting for a longer, slower route than attempting two final jumps shaped like pagodas.
Despite finishing the twisting trail in the fastest time of 8 min 23 sec, Australia's Shane Rose sits back in 16th place after a disappointing dressage.
Britain is currently third and still in touch for gold after its riders incurred a combined 173.70 penalty points in the first two rounds, compared to Australia's 162 and Germany's 158.1.
"We're all over the moon to pull back to a real competitive place," said veteran British rider Mary King.
Disappointingly for Chinese equestrian fans, the UK-based teenage protg, China's Alex Tian, is well out of the running after being eliminated from the competition following a fall from his horse Chico. The rules were recently changed to disqualify a competitor if either horse or rider falls once, rather than twice, in a bid to address safety after half a dozen riders have been killed during competition in the past few years.
"I am so disappointed with myself," the 18-year-old told reporters.
"I completely missed the stride, the horse was perfect. I completely messed it up," he said.
He was the first Chinese three-day eventer to compete at the Olympics.
South Australian Megan Jones' rides today with a penalty score of 51, sitting narrowly behind Romeike (50.20) and Klimke (50.70).
New Zealand's Mark Todd, riding in his sixth Olympics, has racked up 76.60 penalties in his first eventing competition after an eight-year retirement, is also well back in 29th.
Agencies