Billy Twomey further boosted Ireland’s chances of securing two individual slots at this year’s Olympic Games in London with a fourth place in today’s World Cup Qualifier at Leipzig in Germany aboard Sue Davies’s mare Tinka’s Serenade.
The last published Olympic rankings, which took account of results up to December 31st 2011, saw Twomey in the third of Europe’s three qualifying slots with Ireland’s Denis Lynch leading the rankings.
However, following his fourth place in last week’s Grand Prix in Basel, Switzerland, his second place in the ranking class in Leipzig on Friday and today’s Grand Prix result, Twomey has now moved to the top of the unconfirmed European Olympic rankings. Denis Lynch is still in the second of Europe’s qualifying slots with the cut off date of March 1st just over one month away.
Both riders and their main rivals for the available slots move on to the World Cup show in Zurich next weekend.
Cork-born Twomey collected 15,000 euro for his place today, with the winner’s purse of 37,500 euro going to Germany’s Christian Ahlmann and Taloubet Z, who were the fastest of the five double clear rounds at Leipzig.
Twomey also moved up 20 places to 19th in the World Cup rankings after his fourth place finish this afternoon, with Sweden’s Rolf-Goran Bengtsson top of the leaderboard, and Ireland’s Denis Lynch in second.
