GEOFF Billington must pick himself up for Sunday's individual final in Atlanta after Britain's showjumping team slumped to their worst Olympic result for 36 years.

In the stifling humidity, the damage was done in a disastrous opening round which left the team 11th at the halfway stage, a position they were unable to improve.

The last time a British team suffered such huge disappointment was in 1960 at the Games in Rome, when the team was eliminated and unclassified.

Accrington's Billington, on It's Otto, was having a fine first round until reaching the water where the horse dropped his hind leg which cost them four faults.

From then on Billington was battling to reassert his control and the final two fences fell for a disappointing total of 12 faults.

"The horse was jumping superbly before reaching the water where we jumped far enough but took off too soon," said Billington.

Although It's Otto went clear in the second round it was not enough.

Billington, Nick Skelton and John Whitaker all managed to ensure qualification among the top 45 riders for the individual final. But Michael Whitaker could only manage 65th place out of 82 starters.

Team manager Ronnie Massarella struggled to find a cause for what is also the third consecutive Olympic Games without a medal for the British showjumping team. There are no excuses."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.