LAST UPDATE | 1 Aug
IRELAND’S SHOWJUMPERS WILL go for gold in Paris on Friday after booking their place in the Olympic team final.
The Irish team of Shane Sweetnam, Daniel Coyle and Cian O’Connor finished sixth out of 20 teams in Thursday’s qualifying round at the Chateau de Versailles, comfortably inside the top 10 finalists.
Sweetnam and his horse James Kann Cruz were first up for Ireland, picking up four faults in a time of 75.22, before Daniel Coyle and Legacy produced a clear round in 75.83.
“That’s a solid start, he jumped great,” Sweetnam said. “I suppose that was a cheap rail down for us but it’s a solid score and if we can have three rounds like that we’ll be fine for the top 10.
“It’s a very technical course, very light and obviously there’s a lot of different colours he wouldn’t have seen before, different jumps he wouldn’t have seen before and that’s always a tricky part of it so it’s not too easy to get a clear round.
“It’s hot out there, it’s a lot different to Galway, where he’s bred – but he’s used to it, being based in Florida and been to Kentucky a lot so while it’s early yet, so far so good.”
O’Connor on Maurice was the last of the trio to compete, finishing with four faults as well as one time fault in 79.17.
“Shane got us off to a great start and Daniel’s mare was sensational,” O’Connor said.
“There’s something different about the three-man format – you saw Peder Fredricson nipped out at the wall and it’s very nearly cost (Sweden) dearly so I want to be safe, get round in one piece and have a go at it tomorrow.
“Top ten finish was the aim of the day today – whether you finish first or tenth it’s just to determine the order of jumping so we didn’t put too much pressure on ourselves. We’ll have a good chat tonight and hopefully we’ll have a few more clears tomorrow.”
Ireland’s combined total of nine penalties and 230.22 saw them finish in sixth, with Germany the only team of the 20 to produce three clear rounds.
USA qualified in second place with six penalties, while Great Britain were third on eight penalties, finishing just ahead of Belgium and the Netherlands on time.
Scores do not carry into tomorrow’s final, where the three members of each team will jump again to decide the medal placings.
The final begins at 1pm Irish time on Friday.
