Paralympic Games - Grade II Individual Competition

Irene Slaettengren (SWE) claimed the gold medal in the Individual competition in Grade II. The 52-year-old Swedish rider had an amazing showing in this mornings' final, beating her opponents by a two-point margin.

The Sundsvall native received a total of 72.636%, to earn her first-ever Paralympic gold medal. This was the fifth Paralympic gold medal for Sweden in Athens, and the first in Equestrian.

Defending Paralympic champion Joop Stokkel (NED) failed to retain his title. The Dutch rider had problems controlling his horse, Pegasus; he scored 70.545%, settling for the silver medal.

The strongest favourite before the competition, Nic Tustain (GBR), failed to keep up with her compatriots' gold medal expectations. She had to settle for bronze, as the judges evaluated her programme with 68.727%.

Tustain was not alone on the third step of the podium. Gert Bolmer, the second Dutch rider taking part in Grade II, reached the same score as Tustain (68.727%). The 21-year-old rider won the bronze in his second Paralympic appearance - in Sydney, Bolmer had claimed the Freestyle Test bronze.

Number of spectators came to cheer the riders and their mounts, which had to compete under fairly warm conditions (it was 27 degrees today at Markopoulo with no wind).