Paris 2024: Showjumpers progress to team final in sixth spot

Ireland's showjumpers are safely into Friday's team final at Versailles, finishing in sixth place in today's qualifying.

A fine performance from Shane Sweetnam, Daniel Coyle and Cian O'Connor saw them comfortably qualify among the top 10 teams.

Sweetnam was first to jump for Ireland aboard James Kann Cruz and they finished with just one fence down for a four-fault score.

That was followed by a superb clear round from Coyle with the mare Legacy, before Ireland's anchor rider Cian O'Connor and Maurice finished with one fence down and a time fault.

Ireland finished today's qualifier on a total score of nine faults in a combined time of 230.22, which left them in sixth place of the 20 teams that started the competition.

Ireland will be joined in the final by Germany, USA, Great Britain, Netherlands, France, Sweden, Belgium, Israel and Mexico.

Switzerland, Canada and Brazil were among the high-profile teams who have missed the cut for the final.

All 10 teams will start the final on a zero score, with the competition starting tomorrow at 1pm.

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Speaking after the event, Sweetnam felt that his horse James Kann Cruz "jumped very well".

"It's a technical course, difficult. It’s what you’d expect first day of the Olympics, cheap rail, but it’s a solid score for the team to start off," he said.

"I think if we can have three rounds like that we’ll be into tomorrow which is the most important thing."

He told RTÉ Sport that being one of the first riders out was "a challenge" because you