The BBC's Lee McKenzie goes behind the scenes in the Great Britain equestrian camp as the team wins Olympic silver in the three-day event competition. Following the below-par performances by Britain at the two previous Olympic Games, the squad flew to Sydney determined to set the record straight. Team manager Matt Straker instilled a thorough sense of professionalism in the squad and the preparation paid dividends with their first three-day event Olympic medal since 1988. We've had success here, and now we're going to have more success. Optimism At the start of the final phase, there was still considerable optimism in the British camp that they could gain enough ground in the show-jumping to swap places with Australia at the top of the table.
Success breeds success.
We've had success here, and now we're going to have more success. However, faced with a tricky 13-fence course, they had several poles down and were more or less matched by their big rivals in the tense final hour of competition. People may point to the misfortune of team member Ian Stark, who ended up in the lake on Jaybee during Monday's cross-country phase, as the moment when the competition was decided. That was undoubtedly a significant development, but it would be unfair to point the finger at the talented Scotsman. The Aussies were just in front all the way and thoroughly deserved their gold medal - an unprecedented third at successive Olympics.