Tue. Nov 5th, 2024
Occasional Digest - a story for you

It was dry for Wilson, who won her third Paralympic bronze medal following two third place finishes in Tokyo.

World number one Fiona Howard of USA won gold on Diamond Dunes with a score of 76.931, while Denmark’s Katrine Kristensen took silver on Goerklintgaards Quarter with 73.966 .

Wilson and Sakura scored 73.414, and afterwards she admitted it is getting tougher for Great Britain to dominate Para-equestrian like they used to.

Britain have won the most gold medals in Para-equestrian at every Games since 1996 – when it was introduced – and have 34 in total. USA, second in the all-time gold table, have nine.

“I knew coming in it was very rare [unlikely] for me to get a medal and hard work if I was to get one,” said Wilson. “But everyone is just getting better and better.”

Britain’s final medal hope on Tuesday was Durward-Akhurst, who had never previously failed to finish on the podium while riding current mount Athene Lindebjerg since the start of 2023.

But on her Paralympic debut in Versailles, the pair were unable to deliver a medal with a sixth-place finish.

Latvia’s Rihard Snikus won gold, with Roxanne Trunnel claiming a third American medal of the day in second. Sara Morganti of Italy won bronze.

Durward-Akhurst said she had struggled with nerves on the morning of the competition, but insisted that she and her horse could not have done any more.

“It was a lot of pressure, this morning has been a nightmare,” she said. “But once I got on her [Athene Lindebjerg], she went into that arena and I knew she was going to look after me.

“I was getting myself in a state [this morning], trying to find things to do to keep myself occupied.

“We couldn’t have done any more.”

All four of Britain’s equestrian squad – Baker, Durward-Akhurst, Wilson and Sophie Wells – will also compete in the team event on Friday, with Wells in Grade V individual action on Wednesday.

Source link