Vive la France

Press release August 6, 2022 Herning2022 Vaulting

What a day for the French vaulters at the ECCO FEI World Championships

WAUW! It’s hard not to be in awe, when you look at the results from the first day of the vaulting competition in Jyske Bank Boxen in Herning. Not only did we see fantastic sport from the beginning of the day, with the French team kicking it off as the first team in the arena, taking the lead and staying in front throughout the competition.
It was like they paved the road to the top of the podium for the rest of the French vaulters, because the result really is France all around.

Manon in the lead
She is number one in the FEI standings, and won the World Cup Final earlier this year. But compulsories are usually not the best round for the French vaulter. But this year Manon Moutinho wanted it differently and scored her highest score yet in compulsories, putting her in the lead of the womens individual competition from day one.
“I'm really happy. It's my best note of the year, so to do it here is really great. Normaly the french girls are not on this level in compulsories, but I have worked very hard, I had one chance and it payed off”, said Manon after her first round competing on the horse Saitiri with lunger Corinne Bosshard.
Alina Ross and Julia Wagner – both from Germany – both had some very nice compulsories and are going into tomorrows techtest as number two and three with scores of 8.365 and 8.310.

It’s crazy!
In the mens individual competition Germanys Thomas Brüsewitz proved from the beginning of the class, that the level in the mens competition is off the charts. Clocking in a score of 8.556 on his horse Eyecatcher  with lunger Alexandra Knauf. The game was on and the men was ready to rock.
From the first 8.556 from Thomas the scores just went through the roof, as the competition evolved, with Lambert Leclezio from France taking the lead with the amazing score of 9.240.
“It was really cool to be competing in the first round”, Lambert said after his amazing compulsories. “The horse was really good. In the last month he's really been giving us everything. But 9,2 is crazy!!”.

Overwhelmed at his last competition
This will be Lamberts last competition as an individual, and that makes this competition extra special.
“I get quite emotional about it, because this will be my final competition on him and as an individual”, the reigning World Champion says, “So hopefully the next two rounds will be as good as this”.

Quentin Jabet, also from France, is in the second place after the first round with a score of 8.666 and the 16-year-old Sam Dos Santos from the Netherlands is in the third place, scoring 8.624 in his first competition at senior-level. 
“It's been such a nice experience competing in the first round. Being only 16, it's really stressful but also amazing to compete against all the other vaulters. I'm really flattered to be here”.

Sport matched the setting
Talking to Swiss vaulter, Lukas Heppler, after his round, he pointed out, that the level of the men’s competition was extraordinary with the top 10 all scoring 8 or above.
“I really think that the level of the sport in this first round of the men’s competition, matched the fantastic settings here in Herning”, Lukas Heppler said scoring an 8.078 in todays competition.

Tomorrow the Pas de Deux will have the first round of their competition and the individuals will be ready for their technical tests. The female individuals at 10.00 CET, the male competitors at 15.00 CET and the Pas de Deux at 18.00 CET.

See all the results from the first round here

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Herning2022 Vaulting