Who will Otto Becker take with him to the Olympics in addition to the three already nominated show jumpers? WDR expert Carsten Sostmeier sees the Nations Cup as a decisive test.
There is still one place available for the German show jumping team at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. It is only the place of the reserve rider, but even this is likely to be highly sought after. Because the Olympians can prepare themselves for “something really special,” as Thomas Bach, the President of the International Olympic Committee, said in an interview with WDR. “Equestrian sport in the park of the Palace of Versailles is not something you get to see every day.”
The CHIO in Aachen is the last major showdown before the Games, whose equestrian disciplines begin on July 26. The first show jumping is scheduled for July 31, and the individual final as the equestrian finale is scheduled for August 6.
Aachen bridges towards Olympia 2040 arrow right
Chance for Thieme, Wargers and Brinkop
National coach Otto Becker will be watching the many competitions in Aachen closely, but especially the Nations Cup on Thursday evening (live on WDR television from 8:15 p.m.). Carsten Sostmeier, WDR commentator and equestrian expert, assumes that the decision on the Olympic nomination will be made in the Nations Cup – although another important top show jumping competition follows on Sunday, the Grand Prix of Aachen.
CHIO in Aachen – this is how show jumping works Arrow right CHIO in Aachen: All information and TV times for the “World Equestrian Festival” Arrow right
In addition to the already nominated Christian Kukuk (with Mumbai), Andre Thieme (with Chakaria), Jana Wargers (with Limbridge) and Kendra Claricia Brinkop (with Tabasco) will also compete for Germany in the Nations Cup. “These are also the three candidates for the last place available,” said Sostmeier. He sees the chances as evenly distributed. “It would be speculation to commit to someone in advance.”
Brinkop had only joined the team two days before the CHIO because Jörne Sprehe had dropped out. According to the German Equestrian Federation (FN), Sprehe’s horse “Hot Easy” is suffering from a hip ulcer. Sprehe had also stepped in for Hans-Dieter Dreher, whose horse Elysium was out due to an infection.
Sostmeier: Eight to nine medal candidates
It remains exciting to see how competitive the German team is compared to the nine other nations. Last Friday, the team suffered a “small setback” at the Nations Cup in Rotterdam, as Becker put it. They missed the second round and ended up only in ninth place – “that was very disappointing,” said Becker.
Sostmeier is optimistic about the Olympics, although he predicts a very close competition. “I see eight to nine nations competing for a medal because the world class is so close together.” He would single out Sweden as the big favorite and the Irish. “In the end, it depends on luck and form on the day because there will be no discarded results,” said Sostmeier.
The three German riders already nominated for the Olympics are Christian Kukuk with Checker, Richard Vogel with United Touch and Philipp Weishaupt with Zineday. Vogel has also already left his mark on the CHIO: on Wednesday he won a timed competition with Phenyo and then in the evening he won the Prize of Europe with Cepano Baloubet. Vogel narrowly missed the win in the opening competition with Cydello.
Photo gallery
These are Germany’s show jumpers at the Olympics
Without Ehning, Deußer and Ahlmann
The German team is missing some well-known riders who have been very successful in recent years and decades – such as Marcus Ehning, Daniel Deußer and Christian Ahlmann. “They don’t have any Olympic horses,” says Sostmeier. “That shows again who is ultimately the decisive factor in equestrian sport.”
Sostmeier also sees tough competition in the individual competition at the Olympics. “Of course Henrik von Eckermann with King Edward is the favorite, but there are 15 to 20 couples who can win a medal.”
