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Friday, September 29
Americans shut out of medals
Associated Press
SYDNEY, Australia -- The Olympic gold and silver medalists
from Atlanta in individual dressage changed places this time around
after a spirited competition.
Anky van Grunsven of the Netherlands rode an energetic and
mistake-free Grand Prix freestyle for a record score to defeat 1996
Olympic champion Isabell Werth of Germany.
Van Grunsven, on Bonfire, earned 86.05 percent Saturday for a
combined score of 239.18 from the three days of competition. The
freestyle by Werth, aboard Gigolo, was not as fluid, and she earned
82.2 percent for a combined 234.19.
Ulla Salzgeber of Germany won bronze on Rusty with a 80.67
percent freestyle and a combined score of 230.57.
"Isabell and I have been fighting each other for years," Van
Grunsven said. "It has always been close. You get a horse like
Bonfire once in a lifetime. Today he was brilliant. No one could be
happier with a gold medal than I am."
Werth said she was nervous and too cautious.
"I tried to be too safe and made mistakes," she said. "But I
feel I didn't lose the gold. I won the silver."
The top 15 riders from two previous Grand Prix tests rode a
musical freestyle Saturday, including two U.S. riders who were not
in medal contention.
Susan Blinks of Wellington, Fla., earned 74.37 percent on Flim
Flam for a combined 214.65 to move up to eighth from 11th overall.
It was the sixth-highest score of the freestyle competition.
"What a boy," Blinks said of Flim Flam. "He was tired and he
really came through. I've been preparing him for the Olympics for
10 years."
Christine Traurig of Carlsbad, Calif., scored 65.57 percent on
Etienne for a combined 208.21 to drop from 10th to 11th.
"He was a little bit out of gas today," said Traurig.
"Overall, I'm pretty happy with his efforts for three days."
Werth led after the Grand Prix test during the team competition
Wednesday, but Van Grunsven pulled ahead in the Grand Prix Special
test on Friday.
Van Grunsven earned a standing ovation from the capacity crowd
of 20,000 for her freestyle with a "Song Sung Blue" theme.
Werth's music was "Just a Gigolo."
The president of the judge panel, Eric Lette of Sweden,
announced later that Bonfire's 86.05 percent was a record freestyle
score in a major competition.
"We have seen today dressage at its best," judge Volker Moritz
of Germany said.
Salzgeber's performance also won a huge ovation. Her music broke
halfway through her test, and she completed it an hour later after
the other riders were done.
Van Grunsven and Werth had announced that the Sydney Olympics
would be the last competition for their horses, both 17. They have
gone head to head for six years.
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