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Wizolympics 2020: Hippogriff Show Jumping Final

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Hello again, readers! I’m Minerva Miles, back again at Kahaku Dome for the hippogriff show jumping final! You might remember that at the qualifying event, Septima Johnson, Wilkie Abbott, and Riku Yui came out on top and grabbed spots in today’s show. The winner of today’s competition will be awarded the coveted Galleon medal.

Here is a quick rundown of the rules of the sport before the final begins:

  1. Each witch or wizard must approach the hippogriff and follow etiquette to allow the competitor to continue with the task.
  2. The competitor must complete a magically enhanced acrobatic routine over the hippogriff.
  3. The competitor must mount the hippogriff and perform an acrobatic jumping routine while on the hippogriff as the creature flies around the designated arena.
  4. All competitors are marked out of 10 for each section of the competition.
  5. The competitors must use the Ministry-provided hippogriff allocated to them on the day of the event.

Now let’s get on to the show!

 

Japan – Riku Yui

First up to compete for the coveted Galleon is Riku Yui of Japan. Obviously, the crowd loves their hometown hero and is already on their feet with excitement and anticipation. Yui has dropped into a deep bow to the hippogriff YASSSS. YASSSS gracefully returns the bow, allowing Yui to begin his ground routine. He seems to have charmed his feet or the ground around YASSSS so that every time he lands a jump over the creature, a rainbow forms.

After several rather intricate jumps, the creature and competitor both seem ensnared in a cage of rainbows. Now YASSSS has flown into the air and Yui has begun his series of jumps again. He seems to be sending charms into the sky as he jumps, but I can’t imagine what he’s forming with them. Oh! As Yui lands his final jump of the routine, his final charm completes what is now obviously a beautiful, sparkling rendering of Hayao the Hoo-hoo, the official mascot of the games! The crowd is going wild, although it is a little hard to hear them through their protective Bubble-Head Charms.

Ground routine: 9/10

Flying routine: 10/10

FINAL SCORE: 19/20

 

United States – Septima Johnson

The United States’ Septima Johnson is next up to enter the arena, and she will certainly need to do something extravagant to follow Yui’s routine. She bows to Have a Biscuit, who returns the exchange with ease. Johnson is performing a set of extremely intricate jumps, rolls, and flips as her Water-Making Spell sends beautifully enchanted, colored water streams around her and Have a Biscuit. Somehow, by the end of this routine, a lattice of red, white, and blue water envelops Have a Biscuit, and Johnson dives right through them to land on the creature’s back.

With that, Have a Biscuit launches into the air and Johnson begins another set of jumps over the creature. This time, there does not seem to be water tricks, but instead, Johnson has elected to send sparks below her and Have a Biscuit. I can’t really imagine why, and it almost seems as if something here is not going as planned. The crowd also seems a little unsure of what is going on, and Johnson herself seems somewhat flustered by this unfortunate turn of events. Her final jump has left her on the ground perfectly fine as Have a Biscuit swoops behind her, and that’s the end. Well, it was slightly underwhelming but a great performance from the young athlete nonetheless.

Ground routine: 8/10

Flying routine: 5/10

FINAL SCORE: 13/20

 

United Kingdom – Wilkie Abbott

The final Wizolympian to enter the arena today is Wilkie Abbott, a fan favorite returning medalist from the United Kingdom. He has been paired with Roonil Wazlib, and the two bow to each other within seconds of Abbott entering the arena. Abbott seems to be bucking the trend of patriotic charms displays, opting instead to send beautiful flowers around the arena as he jumps and flips. The end result of this is looking more and more like an enchanted garden, and it is absolutely exquisite! As Abbott lands on Roonil Wazlib, he takes a second to look at his work around him before Roonil Wazlib takes off into the air.

Now Abbott is setting off on another round of jumps and appears to be sending little stars into the top of Kahaku Dome. And what a sight this is! It is almost as if Abbott is himself a comet among a starry night sky with that beautiful garden still down below courtesy of his stunning floor routine. As Abbott and Roonil Wazlib land on the ground of the arena, the roars of the crowd can be heard through every Bubble-Head Charm in sight. That was truly a one-of-a-kind performance we have never seen before!

Ground routine: 10/10

Flying routine: 10/10

FINAL SCORE: 20/20

 

And that’s it, folks! Wilkie Abbott has won the Galleon this year with that breathtaking routine! Taking the Sickle is first-time competitor Riku Yui, and Septima Johnson has been awarded the Knut.

Thanks for following along with me through this year’s hippogriff show jumping, and I hope you enjoy the rest of the 2020 Wizolympics!