5-time Olympian and a number of medal-winning rider Markus Fuchs has been appointed the Swiss elite eventing group’s showjumping coach forward of Paris 2024.

Markus takes over from the late Lesley McNaught, who died in December aged 59. He joins the Swiss federation on 1 February.

Markus’ illustrious competitors profession spanned greater than 4 many years, and his first main championships was the World Championships in Aachen in 1978. He made his first Olympic look on the Seoul Video games in 1988, and he went on to compete on the Barcelona Video games in 1992, the 1996 Atlanta Video games, the Sydney Video games in 2000 the place he gained group silver, and the 2004 Olympics in Athens. He gained six group and one particular person European medal, together with double silver at Hickstead in 1999 on the legendary stallion and his long-term championship companion Tinka’s Boy. The pair additionally gained the showjumping World Cup last in 2001.

In 2009 Markus retired from competitors and went on to work as a coach at house and overseas, together with teaching the Italian showjumping group to a European group silver medal that yr at Windsor.

Markus stated that teaching the eventing riders is a “new problem that he’s comfortable to tackle”.

“Working with the eventing group, particularly within the Olympic yr, motivates me rather a lot,” he stated.

“The calls for on the riders and in addition on the horses are considerably completely different than in showjumping. It’s precisely these subtleties that inspire me. Lesley has achieved a wonderful job and I can tackle an incredible group. I’m actually wanting ahead to working with the Swiss eventing elite group.”

A spokesman for Swiss Equestrian stated that “Markus Fuchs’ sporting successes have formed Switzerland’s equestrian historical past”, and that he has “lengthy since confirmed his information and expertise as a coach”.

“Because the umbrella organisation of Swiss equestrian sport, we’ve got been related to Markus for a few years. We all know his qualities as a rider and coach, and he’s an absolute group participant. We’re satisfied that he’ll proceed on the trail he has chosen with the Swiss eventing elite with a view to Paris 2024 and can assist the riders advance in sport,” stated Swiss Equestrian sports activities supervisor Evelyne Niklaus.

Dominik Burger, the Swiss eventing group’s chef d’equipe added that the federation is “very grateful to Markus for his dedication to the eventing group”.

“His skills are undisputed,” he stated. “Our riders had been capable of be taught rather a lot from Lesley and they’ll carry her ahead of their hearts.

“I’m satisfied that Markus will achieve getting ready our combos excellently for the Olympic Video games. We’re actually wanting ahead to working with him.”

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H&H senior information author

Since becoming a member of H&H in 2018, Becky has lined a broad vary of equestrian information together with welfare issues, veterinary research, FEI Tribunal hearings and highway security campaigns. She has additionally interviewed high riders together with Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to call only a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, in addition to the Royal Highland and Blair Fort Worldwide Horse Trials nearer to house. She was additionally a key a part of the distant reporting group for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.