"Unfortunately, me and Romeo will not start the individual final today", Harry Charles wrote in his announcement. Just a few days ago, Britain's 25-year-old rider followed in his father's footsteps by capturing gold with the British team in the team final in Paris.
Romeo 88 (Contact vd Heffinck) had a small overreach in the qualifier "and he is not quite the 110% that he has been the whole Games, so we are not taking any risks."
"Maybe I'm a little disappointed, but honestly not really! He has given me so much and took me beyond my dreams, we're leaving Paris with a gold medal and more importantly a happy Romeo, so that's way more than enough for me!"
Britain, which like the Netherlands had three delegates in the Final, now has Scott Brash and defending champion Ben Maher as contenders for a second British medal. "TeamGB has a great chance of winning the medals with two of the best today, so we will be on the sidelines cheering them on."