Tokyo Olympics: Kate French storms to modern pentathlon gold for Great Britain
Kate French stormed away from the field with a dominant run in the final event of the modern pentathlon to earn Great Britain's 18th gold of the Tokyo Olympics.
30-year-old began the laser run - a 3,200-metre run punctuated by four shooting stages - in fifth place but took the lead during the second running section and never looked back.
French finished more than 15 seconds ahead of Lithuania's London 2012 champion Laura Asadauskaite, who surged through the field from 13th to take the silver medal.
But it was an all-round performance that delivered gold for the Briton, who set a personal best in the 200m freestyle swimming on her way to an Olympic-record points total of 1,385.
French's versatility was summed up in the final event where her composure and accuracy in the four laser target shoots - missing just twice from 22 attempts - gave her the breathing space needed to leave her rivals in her wake on the running sections.
"I just knew I had to focus, and I knew I could do it if I focused on my shooting and ran as fast as I could," she told BBC Sport at Tokyo Stadium, where all five events were held.
"I tried not to think too much about getting a medal. I'm so pleased I was able to hold it together. It's always been a dream and I can't believe it's come true."
After finishing sixth in the opening fencing round on Thursday, French swam her heat in the pool in two minutes 10.18 seconds to remain in contention in eighth.
She jumped up to fifth after a dramatic showjumping round, in which competition leader Annika Schleu saw her medal hopes crumble - the German dropped from first to 31st with an incomplete round after her horse refused several fences.
Other than at Rio 2016, where French finished fifth on her Olympic debut, Great Britain have won medals in every women's modern pentathlon since the sport was introduced to the Games in 2000.
French, from Kent, continued that proud record by claiming Team GB's first gold in the event since Stephanie Cook topped the podium in that inaugural competition in Sydney 21 years ago.
"I'm so, so pleased, especially after Rio. It broke the chain of the medal run. I couldn't be more pleased to have joined the rest of the British women that have done so, so well in the past," she added.
Her showjumping skills established the platform for the triumph, as she went clear over each obstacle and picked up just six time penalties for a score of 294 out of 300.
questrian event is always the most unpredictable of the pentathlon disciplines as riders are paired with random horses just 20 minutes before the start - and a number of competitors, including the unfortunate and distraught Schleu, drew the short straw.
French overhauled the German - who was in tears for much of her ride - as well as Ireland's Natalya Coyle, who had sat fourth but also dropped down the standings after a heavily penalised round.
With points earned in the previous events converted into a time handicap for the laser run, French began 15 seconds behind leader Uliana Batashova but soon whittled that down.
Asadauskaite actually ran the fastest time in the final discipline to come from nowhere into silver, as Hungary's Sarolta Kovacs took bronze, but the gap French had established was too big to be breached and she crossed the line with a beaming smile.
French's fellow Briton Joanna Muir also enjoyed a fine laser run as she improved her position from 21st to finish in 14th place.
For the first time at the Olympics, all the disciplines were held in one stadium, with a pool erected at one end of Tokyo Stadium.