IT WAS the closest of contests but an inspired performance in the freestyle to music test yesterday, the final of the dressage event, brought Anky van Grunsven, of the Netherlands, on Salinero her second successive Olympic gold medal — to the joy of her orange-clad supporters in the Markopoulo arena.
Ulla Salzgeber, the European champion from Germany, who led by 0.5 of a point going into the final, had to settle for the silver when Rusty, 16, who had spearheaded Germany’s gold in the team event on Saturday, failed to match Van Grunsven’s display. Beatriz Ferrer-Salat, of Spain, took the bronze on Beauvalais to bring Spain, winners of the team silver, only their second Olympic medal in this discipline.
Carl Hester, who had kept British hopes alive with his superb performances in the grand prix and grand prix special on the inexperienced Escapado, met his match in the freestyle test. “He’s done better than I could have hoped for, but the freestyle was really just a matter of coping as best we could,” Hester said.