Britain’s Joanne and Hannah Eccles claimed Britain’s first Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games medal since last Sunday when they collected the bronze in the vaulting pas de deux this morning.
The Scottish sisters scored 8.580 for their Fire and Ice routine today for an overall score of 8.575. [View a video interview with Joanne and Hannah after their performance]
“We could have done one extra move at the end [when Hannah is standing on Joanne’s shoulders] but we had a little discussion on the horse and decided we’d rather finish on a high than push it further — everything had been so tight and we have enough difficulty in the routine,” said Joanne.
The pair were lunged by their father John (pictured on the podium, right, with his daughters), on the family’s veteran vaulting horse WH Bentley.
Joanne and Hannah were also third in the pas de deux’s first test last night, but there was a change around in the medal standings above them this morning.
Yesterday Germany’s Gera Marie Grün and Justin van Gerven held second after the first freestyle, but they were less strong today and finished fourth on 8.497. They handed the silver medal to their compatriots, Pia Engelberty and Torben Jacobs, who impressed with their lifts today (overall score 8.605).
The Austrian favourites, Jasmin Lindner and Lukas Wacha, were far and away the best again today and they claimed the gold with an overall mark of 9.059.
Joanne and Hannah Eccles both compete in the individual female class this afternoon, alongside fellow Brit Lucy Phillips. Joanne is in the pole position to take the individual gold.
More updates from WEG online until Sunday; report on the vaulting in H&H magazine next week, out Thursday, 11 September.
