August 19, 2008	Tuesday	Sha’aban 16, 1429

HONG KONG, Aug 18: The United States won the team gold medal in the Olympic show jumping competition here on Monday after a dramatic jump off with Canada, the first time the medal has been decided by such a showdown.

The American victory came after both teams finished the competition even on 20 penalty points.

Norway took the bronze medal with 27 points.

It was the first ever jump-off for the Olympic team gold medal.

It also marks Canada’s first Olympic team jumping medal since the 1968 Olympics, and the first ever for veteran Ian Millar known as “Captain Canada”, who was riding in his ninth Olympics.

The atmosphere at the Shatin stadium was electric as the three US riders sent out on the shortened jump-off course all jumped clear rounds.

Mclain Ward on Sapphire, Laura Kraut on Cedric and Will Simpson on Carlsson Vom Dach stayed cool under the intense pressure of defending their gold medal from Athens in 2000.

Monday’s competition was the final for the top eight teams – though Germany and Australia went in equal with 20 points making a nine-team final – and the third qualifying round for the individual competition.

The 50 riders were whittled down to 35 for the first qualifying round of the individual finals.

Canada’s first rider out in the jump off, Jill Henselwood on Special Ed, picked up four faults – and effectively lost the gold for her country.

Eric Lamaze, one of the world’s top ten show jumpers, was next out on Hickstead.

The pair jumped a clear round on a tight course shortened to six fences, including a double, and a time limit of 45 seconds.

After the third clear for the Americans, there was no need for a third Canadian to come out – the gold was won, and Canada had made their own history.

The United States went into the competition defending their Athens gold medal, which they won after Germany’s Ludger Beerbaum was disqualified and the team relegated to bronze.

The Germans came here for vindication and started as favourites but quickly slid out of contention, having miscalculated their strategy going into the first round.

The Americans were the quiet achievers, keeping their cool and a low profile while for the most part jumping competent rounds.

Ward and Sapphie finished the competition with just four penalties – putting them into equal second place for the individual final later in the week.

Lamaze and Hickstead also finished with four faults, Ian Millar and In Style on eight and Jill Henselwood on 19 after a clear round in the pre-jump-off final.—AFP