Collett Sets Olympic Eventing Record at Paris Games

VERSAILLES, France (AP) — British equestrian Laura Collett made history at the Paris Games by achieving the best dressage score in Olympic eventing, earning 82.503 percent with only 17.50 penalty points on her horse, London 52. Collett expressed her gratitude for her horse, stating, “I loved every second of it. That horse is unbelievable.” This remarkable performance broke the previous record held by American David O’Connor, who scored 19.3 at the Sydney 2000 Olympics. In addition to Collett's individual success, Great Britain took the lead in the team eventing competition, setting a new Olympic record with a cumulative score of 66.60 points, surpassing Australia’s previous record of 68.70 from the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The British team is poised for a strong performance, bolstered by Collett's record-breaking achievement and the presence of her Tokyo teammate, Tom McEwen. Collett's journey to this moment has been fraught with challenges. In 2013, she suffered life-threatening injuries from a fall, requiring resuscitation five times and resulting in multiple serious injuries. Despite these setbacks, she made a remarkable comeback, winning gold in team eventing at the Tokyo Games, also riding London 52. With the pressure of expectations mounting, Collett remains focused on her goal. Reflecting on her past experiences, she stated, “Myself and Tom were lucky to get that feeling of what it’s like standing on a podium with a gold medal around our necks, and we sure want to do it again.”