Revealed: Controversial ruling that could cost Team GB their FIRST gold medal in Paris after Olympics chiefs reject appeal in eventing... and it's the French that look set to benefit!

A controversial ruling could see Team GB miss out on their first gold medal of the Paris Olympics.

Great Britain's eventing team head into the showjumping final on Monday with a slender lead over second-place nation France, having scored well in both the dressage and cross country so far in Paris.

But the margin is very close heading into the final discipline, with Team GB, represented by world No 1 Ros Canter, Tom McEwen and Laura Collett, leading the way on 82.5 and France narrowly behind on 87.2 in the standings. 

Team GB's chances of gold would be significantly higher were it not for the penalty Ros Canter received in the cross country for missing a flag at the 21D brush skinny.

In eventing, penalties are awarded for missing a gate if a flag is knocked over.  Despite her gelding Lordships Graffalo successfully riding through the gate, Canter inadvertently brushed the flag with her knee, knocking it over and picking up a 15-point penalty as a result.

Team GB lodged an appeal after the phase to claim that, because Canter herself brushed the flag and Lordships Graffalo successfully passed the gate without touching it, the jump was legal.

Insisting that there is not enough conclusive evidence to prove Team GB's claim, Olympics organisers have rejected the appeal. 

It may lead to Team GB being denied their first gold medal of the 2024 Olympics, with the third phase due to get underway at 10am UK time on Monday.

After the cross country, Canter said: 'I did touch a flag coming out of the triple brushes in the wood, but I would have never imagined I didn't jump the jump – I didn't come back and think I'd done anything but come back clear inside the time.'

Fans took to social media to bemoan the rejected appeal, claiming that Canter and Team GB should feel 'aggrieved' in the cross country.

One disappointed fan said: 'Why was Ros Canter given a penalty when you can clearly see the horse clears the fence and her knee knocks over the flag…. Disgusted!!!!!'

Another said: 'If this is the front view of Ros Canter taking the jump which caused her penalty, how on earth did the judges decide that she didn't clear it? Because that looks pretty nailed on clear to me... I think Ros can feel very aggrieved, honestly.' 

A third added: 'So frustrated by this whole Ros Canter 15 penalties malarkey! Multiple pictures have surfaced of her clearly jumped the jump correctly, inside the flags, even fan videos taken from head on show it. The FEI rule 5 below states it should rule in competitors favour and they haven't!'

Some equestrian fans have claimed that the penalty came as a result of bias in favour of Team GB's closest rivals France, who are hosting the Games.

One posted to social media: 'Olympic judges give Ros Canter 15 penalty points saying her horse didn’t jump between the flags. The horse did but they won’t accept it, funny how that moves the French team that much closer to the British. I’ve seen the photo the horses shoulders were inside the flag! Disgrace!'