The equestrian events of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics are set to shine at the historic Palace of Versailles, and China’s top riders, Alex Hua Tian and Sun Huadong, have arrived at the iconic venue to represent their nation.
Alex Hua Tian, 34, along with his 15-year-old horse, Chocs, reached the stables early on Thursday morning. This marks Chocs’s first Olympic appearance. Following a thorough health check by the Organizing Committee, Chocs was certified to be in excellent physical and mental condition.
Paris 2024 will be Hua Tian’s fourth time representing China at the Games. Born in London, he shared that traveling from the United Kingdom to France has become more complex since Britain’s exit from the European Union.
“It’s a little bit complicated to travel from the UK to France, including paperwork, health requirements, and customs over Britain’s exit from the EU,” Hua Tian explained.
Meanwhile, 33-year-old Sun Huadong arrived at the Versailles stables from the Netherlands, gearing up for his second Olympic appearance. He expressed his excitement to compete with his horse, Lady.
“I have competed with my horse Lady since 2018, preparing for the Tokyo Summer Olympics. She was only 11 years old during the Tokyo Games, and now she is 14, which is a really good age,” said Sun.
Both riders are eager to showcase their skills on the world stage, hoping to make a significant impact for China in the equestrian events at Paris 2024.
Reference(s):
Olympics: China's Alex Hua Tian, Sun Huadong arrive at Versailles
cgtn.com
