Tom McDermott wins Silver!

20 August 2010

Alice Wheeler
AOC

Tom McDermott has won silver in the mixed team event at the Youth Olympic Games. It was a three-way tie so a jump-off was needed to decide the medals! 1st Europe, 2nd Australasia 3rd Africa.

McDermott was teamed with riders from China, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Oman to contest the mixed event as Team Australasia.

The team came into today’s jumping in equal first place alongside Africa and Europe with all teams accruing a total of four team penalty points in round one.
McDermott was the 29th athlete to enter the arena, and Australasia’s final rider. He completed a perfect course, clearing all jumps and receiving no penalties.
“I just tried to do the best ride I could,” McDermott said of his clean round. “I felt good out there and had a bit of luck too.”
The ride put Australasia in first place, and with only two riders remaining, a medal was assured, but the day was far from over.
South Africa’s Samantha McIntosh riding Little Miss Sunshine nailed her ride, placing Team Africa on a combined team penalty count of eight – equal to Australasia. Nicola Philippaerts of Belgium followed, and despite notching up one jump penalty, did enough to ensure Team Europe also equalled on eight points.
With a three-way tie, Australasia, Europe and Africa progressed into a jump-off for medals.

The tension in the air was thicker than the Singapore humidity, as all 15 riders returned to the stables to prepare for the battle for gold, silver and bronze.
Australasia was the first team to commence the jump-off with Hong Kong’s Jasmine Lai riding Butterfly Kisses in a clean round to get the team off to a perfect start.
Nerves and fatigue were apparent on the course as the riders progressed through the jump-off.

“The jump-off was tricky,” McDermott said. “The horses had only done one round every other day so to have them come out and do two rounds on the one morning was hard. It put a lot of pressure on them.”

McDermott was Australasia’s final rider, completing his round in 46.10 seconds with eight jump penalties, locking the team into the silver medal position.
With the final two riders opting not to ride, the medals were decided with Europe taking gold and Africa securing bronze.

“I’m really happy,” McDermott said of the silver medal. “I had a great team and we worked really well together.”
“I didn’t ride as well today as the other day, but Hugo did really well. He hadn’t done a jump-off before and was well out of his comfort-zone so I’m really happy with how he went.

“Every day he is getting better. He’s happier and it’s good that he’s still fresh.”
The more experienced riders McDermott and New Zealander Jake Lambert had led the team to the jump-off, but in a fitting end to the continental format, it was the performance of the other three riders that saw them snatch silver. China’s XU Zhengyang on Foxdale Villarni completed a perfect course and Oman’s Sultan Al Tooqi on Joondooree Farms notched up just four penalty points.

McDermott will now turn his attentions to the individual competition with round one taking place on Sunday 22 August.