Australia and Japan qualified for Paris 2024

Australia and Japan have confirmed their ticket to the team event jumping competition at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The best country in Oceania and its Asian rival qualified against four candidates this afternoon during the Nations Cup: Australia and Japan, but also New Zealand and China. The course, designed by German Peter Schumacher and Belgian Frank van Humbeek, had only two clear rounds out of thirty-one. Australian Lauren Balcomb on Verdini d’Houtveld and Japanese Yuko Itagura on Staccatissa PS made it through the first round. We should also mention that Australian Hilary Scott came back within a point with Oakes Milky Way in the first set. The Aussies finished with twenty-three points, followed by Japan and Dutchman Rob Ehrens with thirty-two. New Zealand and China, including two riders Zhang Xingjia and Li Yafeng, produced under the guidance of Marcel Rosier, finished third and fourth with forty-six and fifty-nine points respectively.

Four years ago, Valkenswaard had already qualified for the Olympics for this region of the world for the Tokyo Games. Japan automatically qualified for the world tournament in Herning, while Australia secured its place, while New Zealand and China dropped out, while Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Philippines and South Korea did not. In Japan, skepticism inspired by the prospect of performing on their continent. Judging by the forces at work today, one can conclude that the development of show jumping in Asia has gone backwards, but one should not be too categorical, above all taking into account the impact of the prolonged health crisis caused by Covid. 19 Epidemic of skills in finding, training, and competing horses in these countries. We hope to see more applicants from Asia and Oceania for the Los Angeles 2028 Games.

More information to come

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