Status: 07.09.2024 15:20
After Anna-Lena Niehues and Regine Mispelkamp, Heidemarie Dresing also won a Paralympics medal in the dressage freestyle on Saturday (September 7, 2024). Only Isabell Nowak went away empty-handed.
Dresing was the last of eight riders to start in the “Grade II” class and gave a nearly flawless ride. The 69-year-old had only come fourth in the individual in Paris and also three years previously in Tokyo in the individual and freestyle, and now, after winning bronze in the team competition, she also achieved her own personal medal happy ending with her horse Dooloop. With a score of 76.127, Dresing won her long-awaited individual medal with bronze.
Drama in the present
Before the competition, Isabell Nowak was the only German rider without a medal. In the individual event, the 41-year-old and Siracusa Old had taken the disappointing fourth place, and she was not part of the team competition. But with a great freestyle, she seemed to break this spell. After the ride, for which the jury gave her a score of 73.540, she hugged and celebrated her horse, pleased with her performance, which had brought her to the top at that point.
Three riders were still waiting for their freestyle – since Mispelkamp was one of them, a German medal was already guaranteed. Sophie Wells (Great Britain) and LJT Egebjerggards Samoa came out on top with a score of 75.445, and the outstanding Michele George (Belgium/81.470) then ensured a German showdown for a medal with a best of 8. Once again, Nowak came out on the worse end.
Mispelkamp, who won silver in the individual and bronze in the team, once again showed a great performance with Highlander Delight’s and outperformed her teammate. With a score of 80.100, the 53-year-old pushed past Nowak and Wells to take silver.
“I’m super happy, it’s great. I have a great horse”said Mispelkamp in the Sportschau interview. “It would be arrogant to say that I expected it, but I did think I had a chance because we’ve already had a good season. You can live off this moment for the rest of your life.”
Niehues was only dethroned at the last moment
After her third places individually and with her teammates, Niehues was one of the favorites in the Grade IV competition with Quimbaya and beamed after her ride in the dressage arena – after which she was on course for gold.
The 40-year-old and her horse did make a few small mistakes, but they showed a clean basic technique and harmonized perfectly with their music. The medal was already assured after a score of 80.900, as only two competitors were left to compete. The French local hero Vladimir Vinchon and Pegase Mayenne had no chance with a score of 76.230, but then Demi Haerkens came along.
With an outstanding freestyle, the Dutchwoman thrilled the audience and the jury, who awarded her a score of 83.390 and declared her the clear winner. For Haerkens, it was already the second gold after her victory in the individual competition. In the team competition, the Dutch team came second.
“We are at the Paralympics, you should show your best performance. I wanted to show that here too, we were already at a good level shortly before Paris, I had hoped to build on that. And then you are happy when that works out.”said Niehues in the Sportschau interview. “When we trotted into the stadium, I already had the feeling: ‘Wow, this is going to be really good.'”
