Chinese rider Hua Tian: Olympic gold medal is my dream
Li Xiang
["china"]
Alex Hua Tian, the Chinese rider who on May 26 just secured the first ever equestrian eventing team qualification for China to the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, shared his thoughts on the opportunity in an interview with Xinhua.
Hua Tian talked about the Chinese equestrian eventing team's preparedness for the global event, pointing out that earning the qualification does not necessarily mean that Chinese riders will be able to compete in Tokyo.
"This is the first step of the process. We have to achieve something called the Olympic MER, which stands for Minimum Eligibility Requirement. Although MER is not that difficult to achieve at four-star level, it still means that the other Chinese teammates have to take one step up from three-star level to four-star level. That is one big step," said Hua Tian.
Such a requirement means that China needs to increase investments in the event, including buying more horses. Moreover, Hua Tian also pointed out that Chinese riders must be careful of possible accidents, which, when they happen, can cost the athletes years of waiting.
Chinese rider Alex Hua Tian competes in equestrian eventing individual contest at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. /VCG Photo

Chinese rider Alex Hua Tian competes in equestrian eventing individual contest at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. /VCG Photo

Hua Tian himself is a good example of this. Back in 2008, he became the youngest rider for Olympic equestrian eventing, but he did not compete in Beijing in the end – because he fell off the horse at the cross country in Hong Kong.
"It was very difficult for me to come to terms with the fairytale being broken in the way I was falling off at the eighth fence at the cross country. It took a long time, eight years, to get back to my next Olympic Games," said Hua Tian.
Though he is trying to be cautious with the competition, Hua Tian still eyes something big – the Olympic gold medal. He believes that even if he cannot win it in Tokyo, he will always work for it in his career.
"Everybody's dream is the Olympic championship…for me personally, I look forward to a long career. I have a few more Olympic Games left. If during one of those the stars are aligned and somebody up there looks down on me and gives me the opportunity, then I think it would be wonderful. If I don't win gold, it's not going to stop me doing what I love doing," said Hua Tian.