Team GB is celebrating its first gold medal of the Paris Olympic Games this afternoon after the British eventing team secured gold.
Laura Collett (riding London 52), Tom McEwen (JL Dublin) and Ros Canter (Lordships Graffalo) travelled to France as the defending champions and were favourites to win team gold again. Three spectacular performances from all three riders made it happen.
Laura Collett and London 52
“I’m on top of the world. I’ve never ridden into an atmosphere like that,” said Laura. “Luckily London is a trusty partner and so are my teammates. We brought it home!”
Ros confessed that it was “terrible” watching Laura — who was the last Brit to jump and so the team’s fate rested in her hands — go in.
“I hid behind whoever was taller than me, which is most people,” she said with a smile. “It was terrifying but amazing.”
Tom added: “It’s been a rollercoaster and fantastic that we’re all here in this position. We rose to the occasion.”
Record gold number five
Team GB lap of honour
This is Team GB’s fifth team gold in eventing.
Three other nations — Germany, Australia and the USA — have won four team golds in the past, but Britain is the first country to do it for a fifth time.
“There are no words to describe the atmosphere here [in Paris],” said Laura.
“I didn’t think you could top the cross-country yesterday but riding into the arena today with quite a bit of pressure was unreal. Luckily these two [Tom and Ros] had already done such a good job.”
“[Gold] is what we came here for and I’m so proud of them,” said Yazmin Ingham, Britain’s reigning world champion who went to Paris as a reserve with Banzai du Loir but didn’t compete. “It has been amazing to experience these Games, especially with these guys.”
Team GB also set two new dressage records in Olympic eventing. Laura scored the lowest ever mark as an individual, while the team’s combined score after the first phase was also a record breaker.
Historic medal for Japan
Team GB, France and Japan on the podium
The host nation, France, claimed team silver, ahead of Japan in bronze.
This is another record, as it is the first Olympic medal Japan has ever won in eventing.
Laura and Tom were a part of the British trio that won gold in Tokyo three years ago — ending a 49-year golden drought for Team GB in Olympic eventing in the process — while Ros Canter travelled to Japan’s capital city as reserve and wasn’t needed.
There was plenty of pressure on the British team today, as their lead was narrow after yesterday’s cross-country phase.
A controversial 15 penalties was added to Ros’ score when she was deemed not to have passed the correct side of a white flag at one fence.
An objection was logged by the British team and it was reviewed by the ground injury, who ruled that the penalties would be upheld due to a lack of evidence.
In this situation, evidence must be in the form of official video footage or images.
Individual chances
All eyes now turn to the second showjumping phase this afternoon, in which the top 25 riders will come forward to compete for individual medals.
Germany’s Michael Jung is still out in front with Chipmunk FRH.
Australia’s Chris Burton is 0.6 of a penalty behind him with Shadow Man.
Then two British riders are in third and fourth — Laura Collett on 23.1, closely followed by Tom McEwen on 25.8.
Four penalties separate the top four individuals at this stage, which means a single showjump down (which costs four penalties) could cost a medal.
The final showjumping kicks off at 2pm (BST)/3pm in Paris.
All images © FEI/Benjamin Clark
Final team top 10
Gold Great Britain 91.3
Silver France 103.6
Bronze Japan 115.8
4th Belgium 123.4
5th Switzerland 128.4
6th Sweden 130.5
7th USA 133.7
8th New Zealand 134.6
9th Ireland 157.1
10th 165.5
View the final team leaderboard in full
