‘You can never dream too big’ – GB win first Paris gold in team eventing

Team GB retained their Olympic team eventing title to win a first gold medal at the Paris 2024 Games, before Laura Collett claimed individual bronze.

Tokyo 2020 champions Collett and Tom McEwen, joined by world number one Ros Canter, sealed victory in Monday’s final showjumping stage at Chateau de Versailles.

Team GB ended the three-day team competition with 91.30 penalties to finish a commanding 12.3 clear of host nation France, while Japan took bronze.

Collett returned with a penalty-free performance to clinch her second medal of the day in the jumping final, finishing behind German gold medallist Michael Jung and Australia’s Christopher Burton, as McEwen finished fourth.

The team eventing triumph in Tokyo was GB’s first for 49 years, as Collett – once again riding London 52 in Paris – and McEwen were joined by Oliver Townend, with Canter a travelling reserve on that occasion.

Three years after that success the team successfully retained their Olympic title for the first time since achieving back-to-back golds in 1972.

The British celebrations did not end there, as Collett, who nearly died in a fall in 2013, produced a faultless performance to become the first British woman to win an individual eventing medal since Kristina Cook in 2008.

“I never thought this day would come,” Collett told BBC Sport.

“I owe absolutely everything to that horse. The team have made it possible. I just want to say thank you to every one of them.

“It’s so many years of hard work, blood, sweat and tears. Emotional rollercoaster doesn’t do it justice.

“Moments like this make it worth it. You can never dream too big.”

Collett, McEwan and Canter topped the standings heading into Monday’s jumping finale but had seen their lead drastically reduced in the cross-country discipline, following a record-breaking dressage performance.

Canter had already seen her individual medal hopes ended after incurring 15 jumping penalties in Sunday’s cross-country, which caused her to drop from sixth to 24th – eventually placing 21st overall after a clean final jumping round.

The controversial ruling against Canter, which British equestrian were confident would be overturned, was upheld after a review – allowing France to cut Great Britain’s overnight lead to 4.7 from 7.4.

Collett’s individual Olympic record display contributed towards a team Olympic record in the dressage on the opening day of competition, but the cross-country result meant GB began the final eventing phase under pressure from the hosts.

However, in Monday’s medal decider the British team produced a superb finish to celebrate another golden moment, and comfortably in the end.

Despite Canter’s penalty misfortune, the 38-year-old – who last year became only the fifth rider to win three majors in a single season – kept GB on course for victory, receiving four penalty points in her outing in glorious conditions at a spectacular Olympic venue.

Tokyo individual silver medallist McEwen, 33, then executed a superb, clean run to tighten GB’s grip on gold, prompting great celebrations from his onlooking team members.

And Collett, the final rider of the entire competition, delivered the golden touch – despite 4.8 penalty points – punching the air in delight after completing an outstanding team performance.

Collett, 34, spent six days in a coma after sustaining a punctured lung, spine, shoulder and rib fractures, and losing much of her vision in one eye in her fall 11 years ago.

She has described London 52 as “the horse of a lifetime”, and the pairing completed a memorable medal double in Paris – three years after placing ninth together in the individual competition.

Collett began the individual final in the bronze medal position, 1.3 penalty points behind Germany’s leader Michael Jung and 0.7 off second-placed Australian Christopher Burton.

Despite a perfect round, neither Jung or Burton flinched as they held on to their respective gold and silver.

That meant McEwen, on JL Dublin, had to settle for fourth, 2.7 penalty points off team-mate Collett in the final podium place.

“I thought Tokyo was special but this is incomparable,” Collett said.

“It has blown that out the water, going out in front of a crowd like this and feeling like every single person is willing you on.

“This is just a day I will never, ever forget.”