August 10, 2016 
From second to third to gold! The French team may have jumped around the rankings during the three phases of Olympic Eventing. But they arrived exactly where they planned.
“After the Athens Olympics [when France last won the team gold], we’ve been waiting for a long time to be back at the top,” said Astier Nicolas. “We were really patient. It’s such a relief today!”
Perhaps for none so more than the 27-year old.
Last in the ring for France, Nicolas clinched the gold medal for his team with a clear show jumping round aboard Piaf de B’Neville. He then went on to captured individual silver, as well, with a rail and two time penalties in the Final.
Said Nicolas:
“I was lucky my horse felt quite good, even if he was tired after cross country yesterday. The first round was amazing to ride. I had to jump a clear for us to win and that’s probably why I did it. Unfortunately, I did less well in the second round. But that wasn’t pressure, it was just bad riding.
“He’s the horse of a lifetime. He’s a such a good friend to me. I couldn’t ask for a better partner to share this medal to me.”
The rest of the press conference was just the Frenchmen being charming.
Karim Laghouag hit on the camaraderie of the team:
“The whole enterprise started last year with the preparation for the European championships…We’ve been working together very closely. We know each other well. We are good friends. We’ve done a lot of competitions together. I think that is very helpful in a setting like this.”
Mathieu Lemoine was the embodiment of team spirit:
“I did well in dressage. I was third. But I really didn’t think about the podium at that time. The most important thing is the team.
And Thibaut Vallette set their collective eye to the future.
“Today, we are the best in our discipline. We have been working very hard for this. We were rewarded today and we know we have to keep working at it.”
It was everything that defines a great team. In a french accent, no less.
