VERSAILLES, France (AP) — Britain won its first gold medal at the Paris Olympics on Monday when it successfully defended its equestrian team eventing title.
Laura Collett, Tom McEwen and Rosalind Canter sealed the win in the jumping section — the third part of the eventing competition — following Saturday’s rain-soaked dressage and Sunday’s cross country. Collett and McEwen also won gold in the event at the Tokyo Games three years ago with a different teammate.
Collett, who was riding on London 52, was the last of the British trio to ride and picked up a small penalty for going over the course time limit, but it made no difference.
“I’m on top of the world. I have never, ever ridden into an atmosphere like that,” the 34-year-old Collett said. “Luckily, London is one trusty partner, so are my team.”
France got the silver medal and Japan took bronze.
Riders compete against the clock in jumping with an 80-second time limit over a distance of 500 meters while jumping over obstacles. Penalties are added depending on how many obstacles are knocked over or for going over time, as Collett fractionally did. The team with the lowest overall penalty score wins.
Collett stroked her horse on the head and patted it several times on the side after finishing her jumping round under clear blue skies, a blazing sun and a roaring crowd at the Palace of Versailles.
“There’s no words to describe the atmosphere,” she said. “It really lifted our horses. We’re really lucky that the three of us have horses who enjoy the crowds. It made London jump even better today.”
McEwen was riding on JL Dublin while Canter was on Lordships Graffalo.
France’s Stéphane Landois vigorously celebrated the silver medal by throwing his right arm up like a boxer’s uppercut after enjoying a strong ride on Chaman Dumontceau.
Landois was joined on the podium by Karim Laghouag on Triton Fonatine and Nicolas Touzaint on Diabolo Menthe.
The medal had a deeper significance for Landois, who was riding Chaman Dumontceau at the request of the Meheust family. French rider Thaïs Meheust died following a fall from the horse during a cross country event in 2019. She was 22.
Japan’s bronze was its first equestrian medal since 1932 when Takeichi Nishi — the son of a baron who was popular in Hollywood circles — won the individual jumping gold at the Los Angeles Games.
Japan’s podium, 92 years later, featured Ryuzo Kitajima, Yoshiaki Oiwa and Kazuma Tomoto.
Kitajima rode Cekatinka, while Oiwa was on HGH Grafton Street and Tomoto paired with Vinci De La Vigne.
Princess Anne, the 73-year-old sister of Britain’s King Charles III, awarded the medals to the riders. She competed at the 1976 Olympic Games in eventing and her daughter, Zara Tindall, won Olympic silver in team eventing at the 2012 London Games.
The eventing team final also served as the qualifier for the individual jumping final later Monday, which was won by German rider Michael Jung.
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