Tokyo (AFP)
The French eventing team, gold medalist in 2016 at the Rio Olympics, won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics on Monday, behind Great Britain and Australia, thus bringing France its 23rd medal since start of the Games.
Ninth after the dressage and third after the cross, the French Nicolas Touzaint, Karim Laghouag and Christopher Six finally retained their position after the show jumping.
Touzaint managed a clear round with a simple light penalty for overtaking the time.
Laghouag for his part committed a fault (four penalty points), while Six had a perfect course, without fault or penalty.
They are all three qualified for the final of the individual event which brings together the 25 best riders of the three days of competition.
Before the last show jumping course, scheduled this Monday at 8:45 p.m. local (1:45 p.m. French) at the end of which the individual Olympic title will be awarded, Six is 6th with 31.20 points, not far from the leader, the German Julia Krajewski (25.60 pts).
Touzaint is 10th (33.90 pts) and Karim Laghouag 13th (36.40 pts).
Of the sacred team in Rio, only Laghouag remains.
The bronze is still a great reward for the France team, which has suffered a cascade of forfeits and had to be largely reworked.
The French thus lost in quick succession just before the Olympics their leader Astier Nicolas, double Olympic medalist in 2016 (team gold and silver in individual), and Thibaut Vallette, also titled in Rio, following injury or illness. of their horses.
After his arrival in Tokyo, Thomas Carlile was in turn forced to give up aligning.
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