Tokyo 2020: Jessica Springsteen enjoys a glory day as USA take team silver

Daughter of Bruce Springsteen medals in her first Olympics

Laura Kraut, Jessica Springsteen and McLain Ward celebrate winning silver for the USA in the show jumping  team final in Tokyo. Photograph: Julian Finney/Getty Images
Laura Kraut, Jessica Springsteen and McLain Ward celebrate winning silver for the USA in the show jumping team final in Tokyo. Photograph: Julian Finney/Getty Images

Jessica Springsteen, daughter of singer Bruce Springsteen, made her first Olympics count by bagging a silver medal in the team show jumping on Saturday alongside her former trainer, Olympic veteran Laura Kraut, and McLain Ward.

The two women 29 and 55-years-old respectively, cajoled each other and giggled after it emerged they had won a medal, clearly having the time of their lives.

“It was wild,” Springsteen said about going into the jump-off for gold with Sweden, who eventually won on time as both teams rode spotless clear rounds.

“I FaceTimed them [the family] really quickly . . . they were all screaming. I don’t think we understood a word that anyone was saying, lots of yelling. All smiles, I just saw their Team USA gear. There was lots of shouting,” she said grinning.

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Springsteen started training with Kraut, who won team gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics with Ward, when she was 18-years-old.

“She brought me to this level,” Springsteen said, with Kraut adding that they were “like family”.

“Listen, this girl needed no help,” said Kraut. “She had talent from the word go and all you had to do was give her encouragement and a little bit of direction and she could do anything.

“It’s no surprise or shock to me that she is here tonight,” Kraut added, with Springsteen, all smiles, whispering, “Thank you”.