Chinese equestrian Alex Hua Tian hopes Paris Games inspires children

Chinese equestrian Alex Hua Tian participated in his fourth Summer Olympic Games in Paris at 34. Having made his Olympic debut in Beijing in 2008 at 18, Hua Tian has remained committed to the sport after performing in so many competitions for so long.

Hua Tian had a great start and was in third place in the dressage, but then suffered a 15-point penalty in the cross-country phase. In the end, he finished in 23rd place.

Hua Tian spoke highly of his horse Chocs in an interview with CGTN Sports Scene's Greg Laffradi.

"I cannot say anything other than that Chocs was absolutely brilliant this week," Hua Tian said. "He's a phenomenally talented horse. I have a lot of faith with him and I've had a seven-year partnership. We've saved him for those seven years for these games, and he was just brilliant. You know, his dressage test was a real pleasure to be a part of."

Hua Tian revealed that the four Olympic Games he has participated in gave him great confidence.

"I probably need a little bit of time to digest and understand what's happened here," Hua Tian said. "I think in all honesty I think this these games have given me and hopefully my team a tremendous amount of confidence. We have saved and produced a horse, a world class horse and he's come in great condition despite all of the challenges we've had with his fitness in the past. He's performed at his total best. In my opinion, the only reason why he wasn't in the top 10, if not better, was circumstances outside of our control."

Equestrian is a unique sport and less accessible to people compared with football and basketball. However, it has been growing more and more popular in China in recent years. Hua Tian hopes that the stories from the 2024 Paris Games can inspire more children.

"I just hope it's the images from the sport, from this, from Versailles, from Paris for our sport," Hua Tian said. "I hope it has a very positive, long-lasting legacy. I hope children and families around the world who are not involved with the sport are inspired not just by the winners but by the stories and the horses and the background of each of the riders."