Paris Olympics on channels 26.7.–11.8. Go to the competition website here. You can find the entire program of the games here.
PARIS. There has been a lot of praise for the competition places at the Olympics, and not for nothing. When you climb for a minute to the upper rows of the main grandstand of the equestrian center built in the park of the Palace of Versailles, the view is rewarding.
However, the views from the grandstand are not the main focus, as the cross-country part of the field riding was allowed.
Riders spread out to compete on the more than five kilometer track in front of the palace. The ideal time is just over 9 minutes.
At the same time, the spectators also rushed to the place in droves. The three main grandstands draw a total of 15,000 spectators, but according to the organizers, 40,000 people are spending the sunny Sunday working on the field test. When walking in a crowd, it feels like there could be even more people there.
Spectators crowd into each other’s sides on the wonderful parkways. People pack up when traveling sometimes stops.
You have to wait to move on. The marshals restrain the walking with whistles and shouts and always let some of them cross the tracks at a time.
In the tightest spots, the orderlies also form human walls to control the crowd.
Spectators go around the places one obstacle at a time. Certain spots are more popular than others and they are clearly intended to see the toughest and finest places.
At the edges of the track, almost everyone is filming every performance. However, no one goes to the forbidden areas in the hope of a better image, as has been seen, for example, in rallying or football.
Everything for the pre-zoo pond
The so-called Ménagerie Pond seems to be the most popular of the destinations. Ménagerie means a sort of precursor to a zoo.
He wanted one for the grounds of the Palace of Versailles Louis XIV i.e. the French king better known as the Sun King after the middle of the 17th century.
This area was also the kind of place that the designer of the Olympic courses was not allowed to touch in the first place. However, after minor adjustments, it worked.
If the scenery from the main stand is amazing, the atmosphere on the ground will also surprise you.
An older French gentleman also admires the mood in the crowd Eric.
– Everything is perfect. It couldn’t be better. When there are 40,000 to 50,000 spectators watching the horse riding here, it is very exceptional, says Eric.
A young man is on the same lines Lilian.
– This is really crazy. There are really a lot of people here and it’s nice to watch the competition. I’m really surprised, this is really amazing. We didn’t expect this.
In addition to the French flags, there are plenty of British flags flying at the venue. BarbaraThe lady named is dressed in a Union Jack pattern that matches the flag.
– The atmosphere is absolutely fantastic. The weather is incredible. There couldn’t be a better place to compete. I never thought this would be so stunningly beautiful.
A deadly reputation
Cross-country riding is considered the king of horse riding. It’s like an equestrian triathlon, as field riding consists of three different competitions.
On one day we compete in dressage, on the second there is a cross-country test and on the third day there is show jumping. The field test is the most demanding of the three.
What distinguishes cross-country riding from show jumping is that the obstacles are fixed. They don’t fall off on contact, unlike the booms of track show jumping.
When watching the actions of 600-kilogram horses and athletes, you also quickly realize why field riding and its cross-country test are also considered one of the most dangerous sports of the Summer Olympics.
Injuries can occur, because on the track, horses and athletes do not actually crawl, and the obstacles do not spring.
In the optimal time, the average speed of the Olympic track will be 34 kilometers per hour. You have to move 570 meters in a minute. There will be no serious injuries on Sunday, but Ecuador’s Ronald Zabala Götschel accidentally falls on a water barrier.
Between 1997 and 2008, cross-country riding claimed nearly 40 lives around the world. Since then, the race deciders have made the courses easier. Protections for athletes have also been developed.
Finland’s Olympic representative Veera Manninen coach Petri Tolmunen describes the field test of the Paris Olympics as demanding.
– The track was extremely technical. More than 40 obstacles, all in their maximum dimensions. The combinations were demanding.
Finnish riders also get to enjoy the wonderful atmosphere. When Veera Manninen, the youngest representative of the entire cross-country riding competition, cools off along the big canal, the French “Allez, allez” echoes hundreds of meters away, meaning let’s go, let’s go.
“It was good,” is heard next to me in French when Manninen reaches the finish line.
In the competition, everyone is encouraged equally. Also another Finnish representative Sanna Siltakorpi gets a lot of cheers from the viewers.
At the Ménagers pond, the French flags fly almost as hard for Siltakorve as they did for the Frenchman who left a little before him To Stephane Landois.
Veera Manninen takes in the atmosphere after her performance. The crowd gathered in the park of the Palace of Versailles caused chills. According to the 24-year-old athlete, the competition venue is incredibly nice, and there is nothing like it.
– Encouragement was heard every moment. It was amazing to go there. It was the first time I had something like this. A huge audience. All along the route. I wouldn’t have believed something like this, Manninen incensed.
The coach would like to express his thanks to everyone who came, and especially to the French organizers.
– I have to thank the French for opening such a wonderful place for equestrian sports. This park is unimaginably great. Yes, this is completely unique, Petri Tolmune underlined.
One can only agree with these thanks. Olympic experiences at their best.