Germany’s Julia Krajewski riding Amande de B’Neville has been crowned the individual Olympic champion in Tokyo, with Britain’s Tom McEwen netting the silver.
Tom and Toledo De Kerser in action on cross-country day. Photo: FEI/Christophe Taniére
Julia, 32, makes history as the first-ever female event rider to win the individual title. It comes 57 years after women were first allowed to compete in the 1964 Games which were also held in Tokyo.
Australia’s Andrew Hoy — contesting his eighth Games — won the bronze aboard Vassily de Lassos and set a new record for having ridden the highest number of clear cross-country rounds at an Olympics: eight.
Japan’s Kazuma Tomoto (Vinci de la Vigne) finished fourth ahead of Oliver Townend, who went into the final showjumping round in second place but slipped three places when Ballaghmor Class knocked down one fence and picked up a time-fault.
It has been a fairytale Games for Britain’s eventing team, who claimed team gold for the first time in 49 years earlier today. All three riders — Tom, Oliver and Laura Collett — were making their Olympic debuts.
Laura and her 2020 Pau CCI5* winner London 52 finished ninth.
Tom’s ride, the French-bred Toledo De Kerser, won Pau CCI5* in 2019 and helped Britain to team gold at the World Equestrian Games in Tryon, USA, in 2018.
Tom was a little disappointment in the horse’s dressage test on Friday — “It’s not the test we know he can do,” he said — which left them outside the top 10 at that early stage. However, a superb cross-country clear followed by two perfectly-executed showjumping clears (but for a time-fault) saw them rise up the ranks.
Final leaderboard
- Julia Krajewski/Amande de B’Neville GER 26
- Tom McEwen/Toledo De Kerser GBR 29.3
- Andrew Hoy/Vassily de Lassos AUS 29.6
- Kazuma Tomoto/Vinci de la Vigne JPN 31.9
- Oliver Townend/Ballymor Class GBR 32.4
- Nicolas Touzaint/Absolut Gold FRA 33.9
- Christopher Six/Totem de Brecey FRA 35.2
- Michael Jung/Chipmunk FRH 36.1
- Laura Collett/London 52 GBR 37.8
- Shane Rose/Virgil AUS 39.7
View the full results here.
Main photo (top): The newly crowned Olympic champion, Germany’s Julia Krajewski riding Amande de B’Neville. Credit: FEI/Christophe Taniére
