Team GB have won team eventing gold following a tense morning of showjumping in Paris. The trio of Tom McEwen, Laura Collett and Ros Canter led France by 4.7 points after the dressage and cross-country phases, despite having their advantage cut when Canter was controversially given 15 jumping penalties in the latter event.
And the team held their nerve in Château de Versailles as Britain sealed back-to-back Olympics team titles for the first time since 1972.
It was Canter who went first for Team GB, knocking down one fence in her round and avoiding any time penalties to extend the overall lead.
McEwen then produced a clear round under pressure, meaning Team GB had three fences in hand over the French ahead of the final group of jumpers. And after Stephane Landois knocked one fence down in the final round for France, and incurred a time penalty, it was Collett charged with sealing gold as she went last overall.
Now with four fences in hand, Collett held her nerve to seal glory. The 34-year-old knocked down the last but it mattered little, and she triumphantly punched the air in celebration as her team-mates watched on and embraced.
It confined the French to silver, while Japan took bronze for the country’s first ever team equestrian medal at the Olympics. Belgium finished fourth, a place ahead of Switzerland.
Collett also remains in contention for individual gold ahead of another showjumping round today. She now lies third on 23.10 penalty points, behind Christopher Burton of Australia (22.40) and Germany’s Michael Jung (21.80). McKewen is also in the running, fourth on 25.80.
The result follows a harrowing build-up for the British team, after Charlotte Dujardin pulled out of the Olympics after a previous video emerged of her excessively whipping a horse. But afterwards Collett admitted she felt “on top of the world” as the team delivered the perfect response.
“I have never ever ridden into an atmosphere like that,” she told the BBC, referencing the partisan home support. “Luckily my horse is one trusty partner and so are my team-mates as well. We brought it home.”
McKewen added: “She (Collett) jumped amazing. I was more nervous than her at the end, I much prefer doing it myself. It was a class round from her and to get another gold for Team GB….a first of the games.”
An emotional Canter, who had appeared to go clear in Saturday’s cross-country before being deemed to have hit a flag on the way round, admitted: “I can’t really talk. I hid behind whoever was in front of me at the end there. It was terrifying.”
