Marvellous Monday is finally over and with it has come the first two golds for Team GB at Paris 2024
Tom Pidcock successfully defended his men’s cross-country mountain biking title in dramatic fashion, as the equestrian team got the golden clock rolling for Team GB.
Equestrian: Eventing
Team GB’s first gold of Paris 2024 came at the Château de Versailles, with Laura Collett, Tom McEwen and Ros Canter topping the equestrian team eventing leader board.
The trio finished the three-day competition with 91.30 penalties, ending 12.3 clear of hosts France and 24.5 clear of Japan.
Collett was back on the podium shortly afterwards, finishing third in the individual eventing. Her 23.10 penalties was only bettered by gold medallist Michael Jung and silver medallist Christopher Burton.
"So many years of hard work, blood, sweat and tears,” Collett said. “An emotional rollercoaster doesn't even do it justice. But for moments like this, every single bad day is so worth it, and you just have to never give up and never lose hope, you can never dream too big."
McEwen, who picked up an individual eventing silver at Tokyo, finished fourth.
Mountain Biking: Men’s Cross-Country
Team GB’s second gold soon followed, as cross-country mountain biker Tom Pidcock defended his gold medal from Tokyo in dramatic style.
Pidcock, who turns 25 tomorrow, was winning the race when he suffered a puncture which saw him drop to 40 seconds back in ninth.
He then pipped French rider Victor Koretzky in the final lap after the two broke clear of the field.
Pidcock said: "The Olympics is so special and you need to never give up. You need to give everything."
Diving: Men’s 10m Synchro
Tom Daley and Noah Williams earned a silver medal in the men’s synchronised 10m platform final, scoring 463.44 points.
Daley clinched his fifth Olympic medal at his fifth Games, adding to the one gold and three bronzes he earned previously to clinch the full set. It was Williams’ first medal, competing at his second Olympics.
China's Lian Junjie and Yang Hao clinched gold with 490.35 points.
Daley had not been intending to compete in Paris until his young son asked to see him compete at the Olympic Games.
"It's just so special,” Daley said. “This time last year, deciding to come back, not knowing whether I would make the synchro team, let alone qualify for a spot at the Olympics, and now to be here in Paris, diving in front of my son, who is just right there and actually asked me to come back – it's just so special.”
Swimming
Matt Richards earned Team GB’s second swimming medal, as he picked up a men’s 200m freestyle silver in a closely-fought race.
Richards, who won gold at last year's World Championships, finished in a time of 1:44.74 and was 0.02 off a gold medal.
He said: "I can’t be too disappointed with that it’s my first ever individual at an Olympic Games so to walk away from that with a silver medal is fantastic. Obviously two one hundredths off gold is excruciatingly frustrating but if anything it’s added more fire to my belly."
Teammate Duncan Scott finished fourth, just a 0.08 of a second of a medal.
Freya Colbert finished fourth in the women’s 400m individual medley, with Katie Shanahan in seventh.
Whilst, Angharad Evans finished sixth in the women's 100m breaststroke and Ollie Morgan finished eighth in the men's 100m backstroke.
Canoe Slalom: Men’s C1
There was also a medal for Team GB in the canoe slalom, as Adam Burgess secured a men’s C1 silver.
Burgess, who finished fourth in Tokyo, 0.16 off a medal, qualified fourth for the final, and set a time of 96.84 for the remaining three canoeists to beat and only Nicolas Gestin went quicker.
He said: “I’ve been dreaming of winning an Olympic medal since I was 10 years old. It was what I was thinking about in the start pool, I just wanted to do that kid proud that dreamt of this moment. I just went out there and gave it my all and here we are."
Sportsbeat 2024