Anky Van Grunsven Receives SportStart Award

The 2004 SportStar Awards ceremony was held on Monday, October 18th, at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne. In the presence of Dr. Jacques Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee, Juan Antonio Samaranch, IOC Honorary President, Mario Pescante, President of the European Olympic Committees and Eurosport representatives, 50 European athletes who best represent the Olympic Spirit and the true Olympic values were rewarded with a SportStar Award.

Athletes from 28 international sport federations and the International Paralympic Committee were proud and grateful to receive this prestigious trophy at this 3rd edition of the SportStar Awards, organised by Eurosport. Anky Van Grunsven (NED) was among the celebrated athltes.

Anky Van Grunsven (NED) defending gold medallist in Individual Dressage competed in her fifth Olympic Games in Athens. Her legendary horse Bonfire who was retired after having won the gold medal in Sydney, was replaced by the expressive 10 year old dark bay Hanoverian gelding Salinero, with which she earned her sixth World Cup title last April.

In her previous Olympic appearances in the individual event, Anky Van Grunsven showed a steady improvement. She went from 26th in 1988 to fourth in 1992 and second in 1996 before her 2000 gold.

Anky Van Grunsven became the first Dutch rider to win a world championship when she claimed the individual dressage title in 1994 atop Bonfire. For many years, Anky Van Grunsven and the German Dressage star Isabell Werth with Gigolo were rivals at the highest level of the sport and dominated the dressage scene. Anky was more than once on the second step of the podium, always with a sincere smile on her face and paying tribute to her German rival.

The ceremony will be broadcast on Eurosport on October 24th at 21.30 CET and on December 1st at 19:00.
For more information on the programme and pictures:
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