Christian Kukuk Wins Olympic Gold in Show Jumping

Christian Kukuk of Germany won the gold medal in individual show jumping at the Paris Olympics, marking his first Olympic victory and ending a 28-year gold drought in the event for Germany. Competing on his horse Checker 47, Kukuk delivered a flawless performance in the final jump-off, securing his victory with a time of 38.34 seconds. He was joined on the podium by Switzerland's Steve Guerdat, who took silver, and the Netherlands' Maikel van der Vleuten, who earned bronze. This triumph is part of a historic Olympics for Germany, which also saw gold medals in individual eventing and dressage. The competition was held at the iconic Palace of Versailles, where the challenging course led to many faults among riders, with only three achieving clear rounds in the final. Notably, reigning world champion Henrik von Eckermann was eliminated after a fall during the event.