Sweden took Team Jumping gold after a thrilling jump off win over the USA.

*Team Jumping Gold for Sweden after beat USA in Tokyo 2020 jump off

Mdmar – Tokyo – FEI

Peder Fredricson & All In, silver medallists twice, finally added gold to their collection. Henrik von Eckermann and Malin Baryard-Johnsson also won their first Olympic golds.

The USA had a superb day with brilliant performances from Laura Kraut, Jessica Springsteen and Mclain Ward. Both the USA and Sweden finished the final on eight penalty points before progressing to the jump off.

Belgium’s team took the bronze medal, with the Netherlands fourth and Switzerland fifth.

Here’s how Sweden won it…

The last day of equestrian sport at the Tokyo Games was full of shake ups and surprises. Ten Jumping teams, whittled down from 19 in the qualifier, made it through to the event that would decide medals and make history.

Saturday’s Team Jumping final course set by Santiago Varela Ullastres in the Baji Koen Equestrian Park was the toughest one the horse and rider combos had seen yet.

Full of the colourful Japanese icons the athletes had enjoyed all week, it was the double and triple elements, some with water trays beneath, that racked up points for the duos. Each team had only three riders, a change from previous Olympics, so there was no opportunity to discard a score.

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France in front

At the end of the first two rounds, which would determine the starting order for the final 10 riders, France were in the lead on just 2 points, owing to clear rounds with only time faults from Simon Delestre and Mathieu Billot.

Sweden, the USA, and Belgium were all holding on 4 points apiece. The Netherlands were on 9, Germany 12, Brazil 16, Switzerland and Great Britain 24, and Argentina 27.

The rankings for both Switzerland and Great Britain were shockers, both teams having been expected to be strong medal contenders at the start of the games. But 8 points for Martin Fuchs, 16 points for Bryan Balsinger, 16 points for Holly Smith, and 8 points for Harry Charles left them far down on the leaderboard with little hope for reprieve.

In the third round, Argentina finished on 49 points, while Ben Maher of Great Britain, who won Individual Gold on Wednesday, withdrew. World number 3 and Olympic gold medalist Steve Guerdat of Switzerland picked up 4 points, leaving his nation on 28 in total.

Brazil’s last rider, Pedro Veniss, ran into trouble on the combinations, costing him 13 points, bringing his team’s total to 29. Next up, world No.1 ranked rider Daniel Deusser of Germany and his young mare Killer Queen had a rail down and then a refusal, so he elected to retire.

Down to the final five teams, Maikel van der Vleuten, the Individual bronze medalist this week, had two fences down for 8 points, leaving the Netherlands on 17 points and opening the door for the remaining four teams.

Gregory Wathelet for Belgium was next in the arena, riding the 13-year-old stallion Nevado S. Picking up 8 points as well, Team Belgium were left on 12 overall. Was the podium suddenly within reach?

The USA were up next, with veteran rider and multiple Olympic medalist McLain Ward subbed in for Kent Farrington after the Individual competition. With Contagious fresh and full of energy, they could have one fence down and still be guaranteed a medal, thanks to stellar performances from teammates Laura Kraut and Jessica Springsteen.

One rail it was, as the pair saw 4 points added to the American score for a total of 8. Now where on the podium would they land?

Sweden’s Peder Fredricson, hot off his Individual silver medal with All In, had an amazing round until the very last fence. When a rail from the Paris 2024 obstacle hit the ground, Sweden remained tied with the USA, now on 8 points too.

Penelope Leprevost and Vancouver de Lanlore were the last ride of the 10 final teams. Leprevost was the only rider left to defend France’s team gold from Rio. One rail down meant the victory went to the French. Two rails, and the USA and Sweden would go to a jump off for gold.

It wasn’t to be for them. Trouble on the double followed by a refusal saw the pair eliminated, meaning Belgium were guaranteed the bronze medal, and it was on to a jump off between Sweden and the American team.

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Jump off time

All three duos from both countries had to return to alternate rides around a shortened course, this one with a 270-degree turn after a double combination that could prove tricky within the 44 seconds allowed. The teams’ combined scores and times would determine the winner.

Up first, Laura Kraut & Baloutinue turned in a beautiful clear ride in 41.33 seconds. Henrik von Eckermann, riding in his third Olympic games, went clear next, crossing the beam in 42.00 seconds.

Making her Olympic debut, Jessica Springsteen & Don Juan van de Donkhoeve also went clear, finishing in 42.95 seconds, leaving the United States on zero penalties and 84.28 seconds with only one rider left to go.

Five-time Olympian Malin Baryard-Johnsson & Indiana answered their challenge, going clear in 41.89 seconds, leaving Sweden on a total of 83.89 seconds so far. Would she repeat her silver Team medal from 2004 in Athens, or would it be gold this time?

McLain Ward was the final rider for the USA. He put the pedal to the floor with Contagious, finishing in a blistering time of 39.92 seconds with no fences down, giving his team a total of 124.20 seconds.

All the pressure was on Sweden’s Peder Fredricson. He knew he had to turn in a time of 40.31 seconds or less to put his team at the top of the podium. Riding All In like he was in a steeplechase, the two finished in a lightning fast 39.01 seconds to clinch the gold medal for Sweden with 122.90 seconds.

Behind the USA in second and Belgium in third, the Netherlands ended their Team Jumping campaign in fourth place, followed by Switzerland, Brazil, Argentina, France, Germany, and Great Britain.

The Tokyo games will certainly be an event to remember, but there’s plenty more Jumping action to come. Stay tuned to FEI.org for our Olympic wrap up and lessons from Japan before tuning to FEI.TV to catch the FEI European Championships in September!

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