Olympics: Kukuk wins showjumping gold for Germany

Christian Kukuk needed to be both flawless and fast. And he was. With three riders locked in a jump off to determine the medal order, Kukuk produced a brilliant performance that his Dutch and Swiss rivals could not match.

Those three riders were the only ones to clear the Olympic course without penalties, resulting in the jump off.

Kukuk's win, on Checker 47, makes it four gold medals in equestrian for Germany at the Summer Games, which currently makes up half of the country's gold medal total. Kukuk also secured the 100th Olympic medal for German equestrian sport, as calculated by governing body the FEI. 

Eventing rider Michael Jung, the dressage team and dressage rider Jessica von Bredow-Werndl had previously won Olympic golds at the Palace of Versailles gardens over the past week, while Germany also won team gold in the dressage 

Despite that, Kukuk's is the first gold for a German show jumper since 1996 when Ulrich Kirchhoff won in Atlanta with his horse, Jus de Pommes. 

Swiss Steve Guerdat won silver with his horse Dynamix de Belheme. Dutch Maikel van der Vleuten with horse Beauville Z was third.

mp/jt (Reuters, DPA)