We take a look back at the decision in the Small Individual competition with a premiere winner, an unlucky guy who was somehow still lucky and a very special medal that was just not awarded. To the disappointment of an entire nation.
Picture: https://koirakuvat.kuvat.fi/kuvat/awc2022/
It was already clear early on Saturday that Tobias Wüst would not be able to defend his title in the Small Individual competition after being eliminated. Another small setback for Germany after the hoped-for medal failed to materialize in the Small team competition on Friday. However, Stefanie Simson and Bibi kept their hopes of precious metal high. After the Jumping on Saturday, the two classified themselves in second place. They were only beaten by Martin Reid and Selfie from the United Kingdom by 0.26 seconds. Third and also only a few tenths away from first place was Enya Habel with Party – Back from a long term injury. It also continued blue and yellow in fourth place. There, Erika Mariia Molchanova and Moteq from the Ukraine, by the way the only country with two teams classified among the top 15, just missed the Jumping podium. However, more than a good starting position for the decision on Sunday, which is undisputed – the better the starting position, the higher the pressure in the last run.
Up to rank 26 all teams in Bernd Hüppe’s Jumping course remained without failure points. Beside Tobias Wüst and Dörte also Magdalena Ziółkowska with Mazzi, Pavol Vakonič with Meryl, Iida Vakkur with Helka, Svetlana Kreslina with Chi, Clementine Perche with Lucky, Sandra Inglin with Piip or JOAWC winner 2019 Conni Raschbauer and LeGo also got stuck in Jumping. In addition to those mentioned by name, there were of course many more with ambitions to win. With this high level of performance, it is difficult to mention everyone by name – but everyone would deserve it.
We don’t know who slept how well in the night from Saturday to Sunday. But we are sure that some of the remaining teams drove to the Multiversum in Schwechat early on Sunday morning with a certain amount of tension. Tobias Wüst we think slept well, apart from the missed opportunity. With Sheltie Dörte and a lead of more than a second, he wins the individual Agility run. In front of Iida Vakkuri and Helka as well as the French Karine Atlan and Djee. All three with the aforementioned disqualification in the run-up. One of the long-time leaders in the Agility run of Norwegian Jan Egil Eide was Elita Umbraško with Reina from Latvia. In the end, it was enough for a great fourth place in the Agility run, but the gap from the Jumping on Saturday was already too big for more. 7th place for the team from Latvia in the combined result.
The decision got closer and closer. With 12th place in the Jumping, Triine Piirsalu and Roxy from Estonia took the overall lead with another clean run. However, it was foreseeable that the time wouldn’t be fast enough to finish in the top three places. That was then also the case in the end. Nevertheless, the result was a strong sixth place and thus the best overall result for Estonia. A country that has always taken a medal with it in the past two years. Also Triine Piirsalu and Roxy 2018 in Sweden with the gold medal in the Small team competition. The Estonian was ousted just one team later by the Ukrainian Oleksandra Ivashchenko and Shanty. The total time of the two was also better than Maria Sori’s and Sheltie Malla’s, who were classified ahead of her after the Jumping, with a total time of 74.10 compared to 73.50 by Oleksandra Ivashchenko. The only question was whether that would be enough for a medal? After all, there were still 9 other teams at the start at this point.
The young Ukrainian stayed at the top for a long time and the hopes for Ukraine’s first ever medal at a World Championship rose and rose with every failure or fault of the competitors in front of her. And in her case, that was four teams. Aurora Hultqvist, Thomas Berger, Ricardo Tubaldini Nunes and Adriano Begalli. Only the Frenchman Maxime Parraud brought his run and with the best time to the finish. 0.73 seconds difference at this point. And with only four teams remaining, he was also the first candidate for a gold medal. Especially since his time was not bad compared to the leader of the Agility run, Tobias Wüst. The second Ukrainian in the top 15, Erika Mariia Molchanova and Moteq, had two faults in their run and were out of the race as well. Later, when Enya Habel and Party had also five mistakes on the scoreboard, Maxime Parraud had a medal for sure. The only question was which one it should be in the end. It was clear after the run of Stefanie Simson and Bibi that it would not be the golden one. The two also ran down the second run confidently and took the lead. The German did the best she could. It was now all or nothing for the leader of the first run, Martin Reid from the United Kingdom.
The only one who was reasonably relaxed at that moment was Frenchman Maxime Parraud. Whether silver or bronze medal makes only a small difference at this moment. Everything else than relaxed at this point were a trembling Stefanie Simson and Oleksandra Ivashchenko. And with her a whole nation. A nation whose participation was more than doubtful for a long time due to the Russian invasion. What kind of story would that be if Oleksandra got a medal in the year in which the World Championships were originally supposed to take place in Russia. As already mentioned, the first medal ever for Ukraine. But back to Schwechat and Martin Reid and his Sheltie Selfie. Before we start to explain – Martin Reid’s run is a story that will go down in the AWC history books. His lead, as a reminder, is 0.26 seconds. And in fact, everything looked like a clean and fast run. Sometimes a bit more controlled, sometimes a bit less. Until he simply didn’t have the strength in his legs before the last and final jump and he fell to the ground. Although he saved the run to the finish – without making a mistake, mind you. Of course, the gold medal was gone with that. For Stefanie Simson, this was the moment when it was clear that she and Bibi were the new World Champions in 2022.
For Oleksandra Ivashchenko and Ukraine, too, the fall initially looked like a sure medal. In fact, the Briton’s lead is enough for third place. A blessing in disguise. Even in the last run of the tournament with his Large dog, his name should be on everyone’s lips again. But more on that in the Large review in a few days. Stefanie Simson thus defended the title for Germany. Maxime Parraud takes the silver medal for France and Martin Reid manages to finish third despite a fall. Whether it would have been enough to win without a fall would only be conjecture at this point. Ukraine, who showed themselves in excellent form at this World Championships with several athletes and dogs, the dream of a medal remains a dream for at least another year. Even if the country naturally has other worries and fears at the moment. It was nice to have them with us in Austria.
Small Individual Combined (full results)
Stefanie Simson with Bibi
Maxime Parraud with Cute
Martin Reid with Selfie
Small Agility
Small Jumping
Pokalmeisterschaft 2025
ProsecCup 2024
Polish Open 2025
