When the FEI Jumping World Championship gets underway in Aachen in just a few hours, there will be much more than World Championship honours on the line, with Australia also having its first opportunity to secure a team place at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

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Under the qualification system for LA28, the seven highest-ranked teams at the 2026 FEI Jumping World Championship will secure direct team qualification for the Olympic Games, excluding the United States, who are already qualified as the host nation.

For Australia, that makes a top-seven finish in Aachen particularly significant. Achieving that result would secure Australia’s team position for LA28 almost two years out from the Games and remove the need to pursue qualification through the later opportunities available during the Olympic cycle.

Australia is represented in Aachen by Tom McDermott and Oaks Ventriloquist, Edwina Tops-Alexander and Fellow Castlefield, Rowan Willis and Handsome, and Jamie Winning-Kermond and Tulara Wat Colblensky, with Thaisa Erwin and Hialita B the reserve combination.

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Following today’s opening speed competition, attention will turn to Thursday and the next stage of the Championship. At the conclusion of Thursday’s competition, the field will be cut significantly, with only the top 10 teams progressing to the deciding round of the Team Final, while the top 60 individuals will continue in the individual Championship.

For Australia, Thursday therefore represents an important step. A place among the top 10 teams keeps the Australians in contention for the World Championship team medals and, importantly, keeps alive the opportunity to finish among the seven eligible nations that will leave Aachen with qualification secured for LA28.

There is plenty riding on every round this week. World Championship honours are on the line, but so too is the opportunity to take a major step towards LA2028.

We will be following our Australian combinations every step of the way thanks to our coverage partners Divas Beverages.

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