Todd wins gold; bronze for team

Press, 23 September 1988, Page 1

Todd wins gold; bronze for team

By

CHRIS MIRAMS

NZPA correspondent in Seoul

Mark Todd etched his name in the record books and the threeday event team made its own pioneering mark in New Zealand equestrian history after a heartstopping finale to the Olympic competition yesterday. Todd became only the second man to win successive Olympic individual equestrian gold medals and the team’s bronze medal came in only its second appearance at an Olympic Games.

But the route to the medals was not easy and in Todd’s case was not certain. until he had cleared the third-last fence in the competition’s final showjumping phase. He went into the phase, his weakest of the three-discipline event, knowing he. had a threerail cushion against his nearest rival, the Briton, lan Stark. When it was over and Todd, aged 32, and his 16-year-old mount, Charisma, had finished, having hit just one rail, he was overwhelmed with relief and was

rapturously applauded by the big crowd. Todd ended the competition with 42.60 penalty points, 10.2 clear of Stark, with another Briton, Virginia Leng, gaining the bronze medal just as she did behind Todd in Los Angeles in 1984. In the teams’ event, West Germany won with 225.95 penalty points, 30.85 ahead of Britain. New Zealand amassed 271.20, more than 100 points clear of fourth placed Poland. Amid the euphoria, however,

Todd acknowledged a sadness in having ridden his “friend” for the last time in competition. “He was absolutely fantastic,” Todd said as he patted and stroked Charisma in front of a huge gathering of the press. “He knew this was a big one and he really tried. Right through this competition he has given me .his best. “It was one of the best dressage tests he has done,”

Picture, page 7