Eventing maestro on song to score record third individual Olympic title

Germany’s Michael Jung claimed a record third individual Olympic eventing gold medal with a copy-book final showjumping round aboard Chipmunk FRH.

The eventing maestro has extended Germany’s unbroken golden run of individual Olympic eventing titles to five.

Michael, who won his previous Olympic individual titles at London 2012 and Rio 2016 with the great Sam, came within a whisper of Laura Collett and London 52’s record-breaking score of 17.5 in the first phase (17.8). Their quick clear across country then elevated them to the gold medal position ahead of today’s showjumping.

They rolled a pole in the team showjumping – but it did not affect their provisional standing. There was no such luxury of having that buffer in the individual final.

Just four faults covered the top four ahead of the round to decide the individual medals. By the time Michael and Chipmunk cantered into the arena, all three of their closest rivals had jumped clear – he could afford to be one second over the time, but no more. A rail would have bumped him off the podium.

The 16-year-old Chipmunk, owned by the German Olympic committee for equestrian sport, Klaus and Sabine Fischer, and Michael’s father Joachim, jumped beautifully. Their assured clear put the ghosts of recent championship performances to bed, securing individual gold on the best Olympic finishing score in history (21.8) and making Michael the first ever three-time Olympic individual gold medallist.

“I tried to say to myself it’s just a normal show. Not easy with so many spectators, but it’s important the horses feel it’s nothing special,” said Michael.

“At the end I needed to look a few times on the board to check it was really true – I needed a moment to understand what it means, it’s a very special moment for me.”

Australia’s Chris Burton took silver aboard Shadow Man (22.4), with Britain’s Laura Collett and London 52 clinching bronze (23.1).

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