The historic team gold medal at the World Equestrian Championship for Sweden

Thus, they did not have to wait for star Peder Fredriksson, who was the last Swedish rider. With the purity of gold, the most famous brother made a failed jump, twelve misses after three ruptures. Individually, it dropped from third to twenty-seventh and was not allowed to jump on Sunday.

– This is too incredible to be true. When was the team competition decided before the last contestant? Incredible, what a cold, what a great jump, exclaims SVT sports expert Lotta Bjor after a stunt jump in Herning, Denmark.

Jens Fredriksson was not part of the team that won Olympic gold in Tokyo last year. Others on the team: Henrik von Eckermann, Malin Baryard-Johnson, and Peder Fredriksson followed last year’s Olympic gold in the same category in the WC.

Von Eckermann is faultless though a fearful horse

Henrik von Eckermann started and rode flawlessly in a time of 79.80 after the drama before the jump. King Edward’s horse was alarmed by the crowd, the applause, and the lights in the arena. One of the obstacles was touched, but it remained.

– He was a little nervous at first and I tried to calm him down but not too much because of the pressure over time. I was a bit unlucky in the middle with a three-man combination, but maybe that’s what we need today,” von Eckermann tells SVT Sport.

– He’s completely crazy. What a great start. Paving the way for Sweden tonight, SVT sports expert Lotta Bjory says.

It also can be medal individually

Before tonight’s jump, Von Eckermann finished fourth in the individual and is on track to take home his medal as well. The top 25 teams after tonight advance to Sunday’s round.

The other Swede participants are Malin Baryard-Johnsson with Indiana ripping a hitch and getting four fouls. Prior to the final, the prerequisites were that three flawless Swedish jumps should be sufficient for gold. But after many demolitions by competitors, it was already clear after three riders despite four fouls, and one demolition, by Baryard-Johnsson.

Sweden had never before won gold in the team competition. In 2018 in the USA and in 2002 in Spain there were Swedish silver medalists. The Netherlands won the silver, beating Great Britain in the bronze.