France moved ahead of Germany and Britain in the Olympic three-day eventing team competition yesterday with a sparkling performance on the cross-country leg.
France’s top three riders had a combined score of 113.40 penalty points after completing both the opening dressage round and yesterday’s thrilling leg two on a danger-filled, 5.57-km cross-country course.
The show-jumping round in the sport sometimes called the ‘equestrian triathlon’ will decide the medals today.
Germany were second and well within striking distance with 119.60 points and Britain, the gold medal favorites after silver in 2000, were third with 125.60. Britain had led after the dressage round finished on Monday.
“I had a fabulous sensation with my jumps,” said France’s Nicolas Touzaint, who held on to the top spot with no penalties on cross country following his pace-setting 29.40 points in dressage. Two of Britain’s top three riders were hit with penalty points for failing to finish the course, an undulating belt of green grass resembling the English countryside laid on rocky sun-baked hills outside Athens, within the prescribed time of nine minutes 46 seconds. Pippa Funnell needed 10:14 for the course with its 45 obstacles and was hit with 11.20 penalty points that were added to her 31.40 points in the dressage competition.
Leslie Law was three seconds outside the time limit and had 1.20 points added to his dressage score of 43.20.
The scores from the dressage and cross country count for both the team and individual medals; the show jumping will have separate rounds for team and individual medals today.
William Fox-Pitt was the only Briton who made it through without any penalty points added to his dressage score of 38.60. The high-speed course delighted the big crowd and several riders took frightening spills. Only four of the 75 horses were eliminated.
No riders were hurt seriously but one horse, Over and Over ridden by Belgium’s Joris Vanspringel, was taken to the veterinary clinic with a broken left foreleg which officials said would need surgery.
Behind Touzaint at the top of the individual standings after two rounds with 29.40 points is Germany’s Bettina Hoy, in second 35.60. She moved up from third after the dressage as Funnell slipped to eighth from second.
American Kimberly Severson was third with 36.20 points, helping the United States to fourth place in the team competition.
Australia were fifth on 135.40 points, hurt by triple gold medalist Andrew Hoy’s fall off his horse Mr. Pracatan near the end of the course.
