France won its first gold medal of the Rio Games in eventing on Tuesday in a dramatic show jumping final, rising two places from the cross country phase after riders from Australia and New Zealand knocked rails down.
Germany had to settle for silver as their Olympics' streak of two team titles ended despite their 2012 individual gold medallist Michael Jung posting a clear round with no penalties.
Australia took bronze while New Zealand, who were in the running for silver after the cross country, slipped to fourth after seven-time Olympian Mark Todd knocked three rails down.
Eventing is a three-phased sport including dressage, cross country and show jumping. France last won the team gold in Athens in 2004.
As well as deciding the team medals, the morning jumping round also served as a qualifier for a final jumping round to determine individual medals later on Tuesday.
Higher jumps were put up for the individual final, and riders walked it to the beat of French rap music.
France's Nicolas Astier, 27, was in third place after the cross country and posted a clear first jumping round with no penalties.
Australia's Christopher Burton, who was in first place after the cross country on Monday, knocked two rails down.
60-year-old targets Tokyo 2020
Mark Todd may be 60-years-old, but he is targeting Tokyo 2020 after a disappointing day in the team eventing.
The New Zealand rider had to settle for fourth place after the jumping discipline, the Kiwis edged out of the medals by Australia.
Todd has hinted he will take his quest for a third Olympic gold to Japan in four years time.
"I am very disappointed. Gutted," he said. "If I had jumped clear we would have won and now we are out."
"That will be one of the biggest lows in my career. The whole week was a roller coaster ride. I was hoping to go out on a high. Leonidas II is such a good jumper but he got wound up when going into the arena. I thought he would settle but he got more and more rattled."
"We will regroup after this. We haven't made any plans [for the future] so far."
Germany's Jung claims second straight eventing gold
Germany's Michael Jung claimed his second consecutive individual eventing gold medal on Sam after posting two clear rounds in the final show jumping phase on Tuesday.
France's Nicolas Astier took silver with one rail down and Phillip Dutton of the United States won bronze.
Eventing is a three-phased sport including dressage, cross country and show jumping.
Jung, widely considered the best eventing rider ever, only turned to Sam, the 16-year-old German Sport Horse he rode to win gold in London, a week before the animals were due to fly to Rio. His first and younger choice, Takinou, had suffered an infection.
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