Individual Qualifier Sees Shock Eliminations, Close Calls & 20 Clears

The die is cast for the Individual Jumping Final in Paris and there are glaring absences on the start list.

Seventy-three combinations took to the arena at the Palace of Versailles for Monday’s Individual Jumping Qualifier. The top 30 will return in reverse order for Tuesday’s medal round where the scores reset to zero.

Twenty pairs found a clear path around Santiago Varela Ullastres and Gregory Bodo’s course. Mexico’s Andres Azcarraga and Contendro 2 were first to prove it could be done.

Fourth in the ring and returning to the team lineup after a dramatic start (Contendro 2 didn’t pass the first horse inspection), the 31-year-old rider made his Olympic debut count, delivering a clear for Mexico and flurry of fist pumps for the crowd.

“It feels like I’m in my bed and I’m pinching myself to wake up,” said a delighted Azcarraga.

Fellow first-timer Omar Abdul Aziz Al Marzooqi (UAE) and Enjoy de la Mure were the only pair to finish on a single time fault to advance.

Of the 20 four faulters, only the nine fastest made it through. Those include defending champion Ben Maher on Dallas Vegas Batilly who jumped *into* the wall for a determined four faults and Germany’s Philipp Weishaupt and Zineday who squeaked through in the no. 30 spot.

Here’s where things stand.

Shock eliminations

No championship is complete without its share of disappointment and it’s a toss up for the biggest heartbreak of the day in Paris.

Fan favorites Richard Vogel and United Touch S, a pair with a 77% four faults of better average (Jumpr), had an unheard of three down in the latter half of the course, ending their first Games in disappointment.

But it was arguably worse for his mentor, five-time Olympic medalist McLain Ward.

Jumping in foot perfect form, Ilex and Ward looked assured of advancing—until a stride from the final oxer when the back rail fell. The look of shock on Ward’s face said it all.

Also checking into heartbreak hotel this evening: Brazil’s Yuri Mansur who was on track to a clear when Miss Blue stopped at the wall in the final line and Israel’s Daniel Bluman and Ladriano who retired after the same fence. Peder Fredricson (SWE) and Eduardo Alvarez Aznar (ESP) didn’t make the cut on their 18- and 19-year-old mounts, respectively. And Mario Deslauriers, Canada’s best hope, finished just below the cut off…in no. 31.

Rough starts

The Olympics are always a pressure cooker and it proved too much for many unproven pairs.

Isabella Russekoff, called up for Israel in place of Ashlee Bond, made her Olympic debut on Monday and had the unfortunate draw of first in the ring—in her first Games. With 20 faults, it’s one and done for the 24 year old and C Vier 2.

What should have been Syria’s first Games had a false start when Amre Hamcho withdrew before the qualifier. For Lithuania’s Andrius Petrovas, it came to a halt at fence two when his mount Vagabon des Forets refused and he retired.

The track took its toll on Thailand’s Janakabhorn Karundayadhaj, Estonia’s My Relander, and UAE’s Abdullah Mohd Al Marri as well, each failing to complete the course. Venezuela’s Luis Fernando Larrazabal, Chile’s Agustin Covarrubias, and Colombia’s Rene Lopez Lizarazo all picked up cricket scores of 20 faults or higher.

Of the 15 nations to qualify individual riders only two will advance to the Final. Victoria Gulliksen and Mistral van de Vogelzang jumped clear for Norway while Jose Maria Larocca, Jr. and Finn Lente finished on a quick four for Spain.

Podium contenders

The fences go up and the track gets more technical for the medal deciding round and it’s a veritable who’s who of top talent.

World no. 1 Henrik von Eckermann and King Edward advance, Sweden’s lone hope for a medal this Games, as did all three members of the Paris 2024 team gold medal winning team in Harry Charles, Scott Brash, and Ben Maher.

“It was probably a better round than the one we jumped for Friday,” said Charles after delivering his second clear of the Games. “I kind of went round at maybe 70-80% ability.”

All three Dutch riders are also through with clears from Harrie Smolders and Kim Emmen and the fastest four faults of the day from Maikel van der Vleuten.

Ireland is fighting back from a disappointing team finish, with two of the speediest clears of the day from world no. 12 Shane Sweetnam and James Kann Cruz and world no. 11 Daniel Coyle and Legacy.

Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat and Dynamix de Belheme bounced back from their “Day to Forget” in the team qualifier with a clear alongside teammates Martin Fuchs and Leonie Jei.

USA (Karl Cook an.d Laura Kraut), France (Julien Epaillard and Simon Delestre), Brazil (Stephan de Freitas Barcha and Rodrigo Pessoa), Belgium (Gilles Thomas and Gregory Wathelet), Germany (Christain Kukuk and Weishaupt) and KSA (Adbulrahman and Ramzy Al Duhami) each qualified two pairs apiece.