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Dressage rider Isabell Werth at the Olympics: The competitor in her own team

2021-07-26T17:00:38.633Z


Isabell Werth has the chance to become the most successful German Olympian in Tokyo. But individually, her own colleague, debutante Jessica von Bredow-Werndl, could be dangerous.


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Isabell Werth on Bella Rose: With only one exception, team gold at the Olympics has always gone to Germany since 1984

Photo:

Carolyn Kaster / AP

"I have no ambitions to look at statistics," Isabell Werth said in Tokyo. But even if the dressage rider, who can hardly do without the attribute “most successful rider in the world” in the reporting, should now be tired of counting medals - the world of sports is not. In Japan, 52-year-old Werth could catch up with the most successful German Olympian in history, the canoeist Birgit Fischer.

Two gold medals would be necessary for this.

Werth has had six so far, plus four silver medals - just like the 59-year-old Fischer who paddled eight times to gold between 1980 and 2004.

If Werth wins either the team competition on Tuesday (from 10 a.m. CEST, TV: ZDF) or the individual final on Wednesday (from 10.30 a.m. CEST, TV: ZDF), she would be the first rider to win seven Olympic gold.

Neither is improbable.

Although there is no cancellation result in Tokyo, according to the new Olympic regulations - unlike before - the teams only consist of three pairs.

All results count.

With the escape animal horse under the saddle, surprising failures must always be taken into account - for example when an animal is frightened or opposed.

Werth experienced this herself, in 2008, when she and the team were on the gold course in the individual after the Olympic victory in Hong Kong, until her horse Satchmo jumped aside during a piaffe and refused to work together for a few seconds.

"Shit, just shit," said Werth.

But the real hurdle is the competition - and that comes from within our own ranks.

Trio starts as the clear favorite in the team competition

In addition to Werth and

Westphalian mare Bella Rose started for the German team Jessica von Bredow-Werndl on Traken mare Dalera and Dorothee Schneider with the Hanoverian gelding Showtime.

The substitute rider is Helen Langehanenberg with Holstein mare Annabelle.

In the team competition, the Germans are considered favorites.

After qualifying at the weekend, they moved into the final of the eight best teams as the best on points, ahead of Great Britain, Denmark and the USA.

Each of the three German riders won their respective qualification group.

With only one exception, team gold has always gone to Germany since 1984.

Werth, von Bredow-Werndl and Schneider lead the world rankings.

But in the freestyle, the medal decision in the individual, the competition lurks.

For example, the British around three-time Olympic champion and defending champion Charlotte Dujardin, who surprisingly traveled to Japan with her young hope, the noticeably small gelding Gio.

But also the Danes with Cathrine Dufour on the up-and-coming Bohemian

or the Dutch with Edward Gal on the Totilas descendant Total US

sees Werth as dangerous.

And then there would be Bredow-Werndl in particular. Werth has been left behind against the Olympic debutante, twice, for example, at the German championships in Balve. And von Bredow-Werndl also got off to a successful start in Tokyo: With Dalera, she showed her best Grand Prix so far on Saturday and received 84.379 percentage points - it should remain the best result in the entire field. »I wasn't more nervous than at the German Championships because I wanted to be super, super good there too. It was a similar feeling for me, "said the 35-year-old afterwards, and:" Fortunately, for Dalera it makes no difference whether it is the German championships or the Olympic Games. "

The ride from Werth on Sunday was eagerly awaited.

She also won her group without any problems.

In the end it was 82,500 percent.

That was the second best result in the entire field ahead of Dufour (81.056) - but behind von Bredow-Werndl.

Was that the preliminary decision?

Certainly not.

Werth is an experienced and successful rider when it counts.

The 17-year-old experienced Bella Rose is her "horse of the heart".

"That wasn't the last risk," said Werth after their ride.

It wasn't about gold.

From Tuesday it will do that, it's about sports history.

Source: spiegel

All sports articles on 2021-07-26

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