Photo credit: H2R
Today´s news about the postponed Tokyo Olympics was just a matter of time before it was released, and for the Danish top athletes, the national team coach and everyone around some of the possible Olympic combinations were fully agreed about the fact that this years Olympics had to be cancelled.
Danish national coach Nathalie zu Sayn-Wittgenstein just stated: “This was the absolute correct decision, no reason to keep the date, nor for the athletes or the organisers, and all the people involved around the Olympics. It is of course a pity as we’ve already shown our strength with our top combinations, but said that we have a young team with young horses, and from now on it´s about the next mark in the calendar towards 2021 Tokyo Olympics, but first we have to get rid of the coronavirus - so stay home!,” says Nathalie zu Sayn-Wittgenstein.
Non of the Danish top riders were surprised about the postponement of the Olympics, for long time top combination Cathrine Dufour with Atterupgaards Cassidy, this postponement is most likely a definite farewell to the Olympics for Cassidy, as he will turn 18 next year, and instead his top quality successor Bohemian (in 2021 he will be 11 year old) will be the number one choice for Dufour.
For Daniel Bachmann Andersen Blue Hors Zack will turn 17 next year, and at that time he might be enjoying his well deserved retirement just doing his breeding duties. With Blue Hors Zepter going into his 13 year, and as Daniel tells, “we’ve had a short season so far, due to Zepter recovering from an injury last season. Zepter has fully recovered now, and for me personally this postponement is of course super annoying, but trying to get the best out of the situation, I will just continue my training, and now being able to try some different ways/training routines in order to maintain and strengthen Zepter bringing him even safer on the other side of his “teenager problems”.
Carina Cassøe Krüth with her now just 9 year old Heiline´s Danciera showed their top qualities lately at CDI5 at home soil in Herning, and of course the Olympics 2020 was one of the big goals and still is, just postponed now to 2021. “Of course I will just continue my work together with “Danse” and my other horses, and hopefully I will also have the next GP horse ready within the next year,” says Carina.
Former Danish team member Anna Kasprzak feels very sorry for all her colleagues been working their butts off in order to reach their Olympic dream. “For the Danish team we have at the moment so many exciting young top talented horses for the future, and hopefully those horse and rider combinations will continue their work together and stay fit, and then Denmark will be even stronger next year. For my own part this postponement fits even better, and I will of course do my best the next year to be part of the final selection for Tokyo Olympics 2021”, tells Anna Kasprzak.