Chinese equestrian star Alex Hua Tian is gearing up for his fourth Olympic appearance in Paris, building on his remarkable performances from Beijing, Rio, and Tokyo.
Born in London to a Chinese father and British mother, the 34-year-old Hua Tian first ventured into equestrian sports at the tender age of five. This early start ignited a deep passion for horseback riding, leading him to make history as China's first Olympic Eventing competitor at the Beijing 2008 Games.
Hua Tian's dedication paid off with an impressive eighth-place finish at the Rio 2016 Olympics, marking China's best performance in the discipline. His success continued as he clinched gold medals in both individual and team events at last year's Hangzhou Asian Games.
For Paris 2024, Hua Tian has chosen his trusted partner, Chocs, a horse with whom he shares a seven-year bond, over two other qualified horses. This strong partnership is set to be a key factor in his pursuit of Olympic glory.
Expressing his excitement, Hua Tian shared, \"I think the venue will be iconic for being surrounded by all of the history of Versailles. And I think the audience will be very, very educated, and very passionate about equestrian.\"
He added, \"So that's something I'm really looking forward to too. It's my fourth Olympics, and I started to feel that I'd like to be quite competitive. But then you have to manage your own expectations. You're dealing with horses, so you can't have everything your own way most of the time.\"
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Chinese equestrian star Hua Tian set to make fourth Olympic appearance
cgtn.com
