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Paralympics: Favourites takes the lead
Monday, September 8th, 2008
An eager crowd watched on until the early hours as the British showed exactly why it is that they are unbeatable in the team event, and are now in a comfortable lead at the close of the first competition where the three best scores following today’s tests will be combined to the three best Individual Championships scores to determine the new team Champions. They are followed by Germany, however, with 16 points demarking the top two, it will be an uphill but nonetheless extremely rewarding battle to catch the British.
Germany will be feeling every ounce of the pressure as they, in turn, are closely followed by Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands and Italy. Indeed, the suspense, as the team medals are sought over the next couple of days, will be immense as the athletes compete within their Grades in the Individual Championship test for both individual and team honours. For Italy, a team medal would be a historical achievement, as they have never placed at Paralympic Games before and are in clear medal contention at this stage. Last to go for the Italian team composed of just three riders, Andrea Vigon was pleased with his performance “I’m very happy with my first Paralympic Games. It’s a fantastic arena”.
Britain began to make the difference when Lee Pearson and Gentlemen, first on their roster for the evening, proved a winning combination, earning the highest score of the day with 73.294. The pressure was on and Sophie Christiansen, bronze medallist in Athens and freestyle gold medallist at the FEI World Championships in Hartpury last year responded positively with a great test riding grey gelding Lambrusco III and was awarded with a top score of 72. But it was highly experienced and four-time Paralympian, Anne Dunham, who proved that being the most senior female athlete at these equestrian events was a great advantage, earning the best score of the day 75.176 with her chesnut gelding Teddy Edward.
For some the crowds, lights and new arena proved a little daunting, but not for World and Olympic Champions Ann Cathrin Lubbe (NOR) and Zanko, who produced a solid test, “I was a little laid back and didn’t ride him hard enough but he took to the atmosphere very well”. Fellow team mate, Jens Dokkan, Grade Ib rider, is proving an invaluable resource and will have a lot of pressure when it comes to the individual championships test, but he prefers “to do the riding first, while the medals, they only come after that…”
While far from any team medals prospects, but one to watch for the individual tests, South Africa’s Philippa Johnson who competes in Grade IV produced a memorable performance riding Benedict. Following her impressive 70.286 score, she commented “he’s always a spooky horse… there were a couple of mistakes… but I can always count on him to bail me out. He is a true gentlemen and never lets a lady down”.
Individual medals and posiums will be on the menu tomorrow, as Grades II and IV battle it out in the individual Championship test.
In the name of the Team
It was an early and much awaited morning as 12 teams set out to impress and earn top scores in the first part of the team competition, which has so far seen riders from Grades II and III make their debut appearance at the Sha Tin arena.
Golden team ambitions have definitely got a hold of 2004 Athens silver medallists Germany, as they got off to a very promising start with a convincing performance by Grade III rider Hannelore Brenner and Women of the World earning them the top score of the morning with 71.615, followed by a solid performance from Angelika Trabert and Londria 2 on a score of 69.429 who commented as she left the arena “We prepared for it and we worked (as) we dreamed of”.
All time title holders Great Britain know that a fourth consecutive win will require some outstanding performances, and they got just that from first time Paralympian Simon Laurens aboard Ocean Diamond finishing on a score of 69.538, and if as he comments, “It is my first time, and I am a it nervous. I will put a bit more out on Tuesday” then we are in for quite a show… The remaining team members, including triple gold medallist from Athens Deborah Criddle, six time gold medallist Lea Pearson and the highly expreinced, four time Olmypic Anne Durnham will all saddle up this evening, once the sun and heat have begin to retreat from the impressive Hong Kong skyline.
Denmark’s Annika Lykne Dalskov, Canada’s Lauren Barwick and Italy’s Silvia Veratti are also proving to be tough acts to follow, and will undoubtedly lift their team scores to greater eights, thus leaving the race to team medals rather open…
Great excitement and suspense in the remaining hours as competition gets set to resume this evening, when the team members from Grades Ia, Ib and IV will be in the spotlight.
The 13th edition of the Paralympic Games on the verge of making history
Today marks the official opening of the 2008 Paralympic Games, to be held from 6-17 September where 4000 athletes will compete in over 472 events covering 20 sports during the 10 day period. Indeed, the 13th Paralympic Games, will officially be underway as of this evening 8pm Hong Kong time when the Opening Ceremony in Beijing whose theme - the travel of life, space and time will launch the momentous occasion.
For equestrian, competition will begin as of tomorrow morning on Sunday 7 September with the Team test and will carry through to Thursday 11 September providing the weather agrees with the schedule.
Their fourth appearance at Paralympic Games: Nathalie Bizet (FRA); Anne Dunham (GBR); Angelika Trabert (GER); Jens Dokkan (NOR); and Silje Gillund (NOR)
The youngest female rider is 18 year old Grace Bowman from Australia
The youngest male rider is 19 year old Mark Frenzel from South Africa
The oldest female rider is Great Birtain’s Anne Dunham who is 59 years of age
The oldest male rider is from Bermuda, Sandy Mitchell aged 64.
The Title/Medal Holders
Great Britain lead the all-time medal count with an impressive 13 gold medals to their name
Lee Pearson from Great Britain leads the individual gold medal count with 6 gold. The result of just two Paralympic appearances (2000 and 2004), six gold medals basically means that he has won gold in every Paralympic competition he has taken part in… Quite an achievement!
The Week Ahead In order to ensure fair competition, riders are classified into Grades according to their degree of impairment or disability. Athletes in Para-Dressage are classified into five grades (Grades Ia, Ib, II, III and IV). Grade Ia athletes have the most serious impairment while Grade IV athletes are the least impaired. The athlete’s condition can be caused by illness or accident, and common conditions include multiple schlerosis, cerebral palsy, amputation, paralysis and blindness.
Thus, throughout the week riders will compete for medals within their Grades in the Individual Championship test and the Individual Freestyle test.
Furthermore, team medals will also be awarded by adding the three best scores (maximum four riders per team) from both the Team test (Sunday 7 September) and the Individual Championship test (Monday 8 and Tuesday 9 September).
Start lists and Results can be found on the centre scoreboard of the www.fei.org/paralympics website.
