Olympics eventing: Great Britain retain team title for first gold at Paris 2024

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.”