BBC commentators Andy Austin and Nick Luck were left baffled when Henrik von Eckermann was thrown off his horse after losing control during the individual showjumping final at the Olympics. The Swedish rider was hoping for a medal but saw his hopes go up in smoke on his final run at the Palace of Versailles.
Von Eckermann was going well until he completely lost control of his horse, King Edward, and failed to regain his composure. The horse was spooked and backed out of a jump, sending the Swede tumbling off his saddle and onto the ground.
Austin, working as a pundit for the BBC, was left perplexed after watching Von Eckermann crumble under the pressure of an Olympic final and said it was the ‘most extraordinary thing’ he had ever seen.
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Fellow commentator Nick Luck said: “This is unbelievably strange and bad riding from Henrik von Eckermann. What is he doing? I have never seen anything like this in my life. This is the world No.1, completely messed up his ride. What is going on?
“He changed his mind, completely unsettled his rhythm, and was completely out of control as he jumped No.8. Spooked and lost his balance. I have never seen drama like it. Extraordinary. The rider looks dazed and we are just confused.”
Austin added: “If you want drama, this is where to come. I’ve watched a lot of Olympic finals and this is the most extraordinary of them all.”
Von Eckermann appeared to be unhurt as he made his way off the course, while his horse also calmed down after the dramatic incident. The Swede was visibly frustrated after wrecking his hopes of claiming Olympic gold for the second time, having won the team jumping event in Tokyo three years ago.
He admitted before Tuesday’s final that he would be unhappy with anything less than a gold medal, saying: “If it doesn’t happen tomorrow, for sure, we’re going to be disappointed for a while, but somehow, we will still go home with the best horse in the world. He has done so many things. They’re animals, not machines.”
Scott Brash and Ben Maher were Team GB’s representatives in the individual showjumping final but failed to break into the medal positions. They were scheduled to be joined by Harry Charles but he pulled out of the event because his horse, Romeo 88, was not fit enough to compete.
