The Dutch Olympic dressage team will be announced at the 2012 CDIO Aachen begin July, 2012 and not at the 2012 CDIO Rotterdam as initially scheduled for Saturday 23 June 2012. The press conference in Rotterdam, where Dutch team coach Sjef Janssen was supposed to announce the team, has been cancelled.
Even though the Dutch dressage team won the CDIO Nations' Cup in Rotterdam, Janssen has not decided yet which riders to pick for the team. His concerns and doubts are strengthened by the fact that Holland's number 1, Adelinde Cornelissen and Parzival, still has to prove fitness in competition. Their show come back is planned for 30 June 2012 at a small national show in Ermelo.
"After the Dutch Championships I was puzzled and honestly Rotterdam hasn't made it any easier," Janssen told the press officer of the Dutch equestrian federation. "Just organize a few more selection trials, and then there will be clarity. The differences between the riders are minimal. Van der Meer scored 75.043 and our last man, Minderhoud, got stuck at 72.00%. To my feeling all Dutch combinations felt the pressure to prove themselves, which made them not reach their normal level."
The Dutch equestrian federation has accepted the CDIO Aachen as final observation trial after which the Dutch team will be announced.
In an interview with Dutch equestrian magazine De Hoefslag, Janssen expressed serious concern about Parzival's fitness. "If the animal was fit, he would have been here in Rotterdam," Janssen explained. "Parzival will only go (to the Games) if he's fit to compete. We'll check that soon at a small show. It's clear we need Adelinde very hard, but the condition of her horse has to be good obviously."
Janssen was very gloomy about the medal chances for Holland at the Olympics. "We've never been in a worse position," he said. "Maybe in Seoul in 1988 when Anky first participated in the Games. Since then we've always contested for either silver or gold." At the moment the Dutch outlook seems to be bronze. "And that will only be the case if Adelinde's Parzival is fit enough to go. Let's assume that."
Photo © Astrid Appels
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