O’Connor jumps at ‘fantastic’ chance for Olympic redemption

Show jumper Cian O’Connor yesterday said it was “fantastic to be going back to the Olympics” after he got the nod as a replacement for Denis Lynch.

Lynch had his nomination dramatically withdrawn on Monday by Horse Sport Ireland after his horse Lantinus was disqualified from Aachen show in Germany last Friday for failing a hypersensitivity test on its legs. It was the third horse ridden by the Tipperary man to do so in the past 12 months.

Lynch is considering an appeal, but for O’Connor, it is an opportunity to banish the memories of eight years ago, when he sensationally lost his Athens Olympics gold medal after his horse Waterford Crystal tested positive for banned substances.