Team final seventh for show jumpers

Ireland's show jumpers put in an impressive display in last night's Olympic team final, as Jessica Kuerten's inspired clear round saw them rise two places to seventh under the floodlights of the Markopoulo centre.

The self-styled "Nations Cup" of the Games was decided in dramatic fashion as Marco Kutscher and Ludger Beerbaum led reigning European and Olympic champions Germany to gold, with two scintillating clear rounds.

Thirty-four-year-old Kuerten starred for the Irish as she jumped one of only seven completely clear rounds on her mount Castle Forbes Maike on FEI committee member Olaf Petersen's tricky course.

Coming into the third qualifier for Friday's individual final with 22 team points, Ireland were just too far back to make any dent on the leading medal contenders. They finished a credible seventh on 36 penalties.

Cian O'Connor, so impressive on Waterford Crystal in Sunday's opening round, faltered as first out, pinging two fences and incurring a time penalty for finishing over the alloted 96 seconds.

Kilkenny rider Marion Hughes, whose mount Fortunus was forced to retire in yesterday morning's qualifier having ploughed through fence nine, was again forced out of the ring.

"Fortunus twisted his shoe this morning and he had some treatment," commented the 36-year-old afterwards.

"We took the shoe off and put on a different one. It was a difficult day for him so I couldn't expect a lot from him.

"It is my first time in the Olympic Games and it feels great to be here," continued the 1999 Irish rider of the year.

"I would have liked to do a little better today. I felt very confident before coming here and it is a shame because I thought we would go for a medal."

There are still medal hopes for Kuerten, O'Connor and Kevin Babington after they finished comfortably inside the top 45 riders for Friday's final, ranking 17th, 36th and joint-fifth respectively.

Babington was second for a while after failing at one combination and incurring time penalties for an overall score of eight penalties, but was beaten out by American Beezie Madden who rode her second clear of the Games on Authentic.

Team mate McLain Ward helped the Americans defeat Sweden in a jump-off for silver after both teams had finished on 20 penalty points.

Results:

Olympic Showing Jumping team final:

(1) Germany 8 penalties, (2) USA 20, (3) Sweden 20 (USA win silver jump-off), (4) Netherlands 24, (5) Switzerland 26, (6) Belgium 28, (7) Ireland 36

Individual third qualifying round (45 riders to qualify for final; scores combined with yesterday's 2nd qualifier and Sunday's 1st):

(1) Beezie Madden (USA) 0 penalties, (2) Ludger Beerbaum (Ger) 1, (3) Rolf-Goran Bengtsson (Swe) 4, (4) Nick Skelton (Gbr) 6, (=5) Gert-Jan Bruggink (Ned) 8, (=5) Chris Kappler (USA) 8, (=5) Kevin Babington, Carling King (Irl) 8 (1st - 2, 2nd - 1, 3rd - 5)

Irish scores:

(17) Jessica Kuerten, Castle Forbes Maike 13 (1st - 4, 2nd - 9, 3rd - 0)

(36) Cian O'Connor, Waterford Crystal 22 (1st - 1, 2nd - 12, 3rd - 9)

Retired: Mariona Hughes, Fortunus - (1st - 6, 2nd - Retired, 3rd - 10)