Coubertin, the father of the Olympics, once said: "The most important thing in the Olympics is not victory, but participation." For life, what is important is not triumph, but battle. ”
At the Tokyo Olympics, 66-year-old Australian equestrian Mary Hannah was the oldest athlete in the Games, and this is her seventh olympic participation.
The old equestrian grandmother finally failed to enter the final of the equestrian dressage of the Tokyo Olympic Games because of the low ranking of the individual qualifications. In front of reporters, her first words were: "I never wanted to be the oldest Olympian, in fact, in equestrian sports, no one mentions my age at all." ”
Hannah has competed in six consecutive Olympics since 1996 in Atlanta, but has never won a medal, "I am very excited to be able to participate in the Olympic Games for the seventh time, which is a challenge for everyone, like walking a tightrope, for my team. "Nevertheless, I am very happy to represent Australia at the Olympics." ”
In response, Ian Chesterman, head of the Australian Olympic delegation, said that Hannah has maintained world-class standards for decades, and her spirit is an inspiration in itself for the outside world.
With horses, I love horses all my life
Hannah and her husband Rob now run the Staten Park stables in Bellalin, Victoria, Australia, where they train riders and train dressage horses.
In Hannah's autobiography, The Long River, she also describes how she rescued her horse from a forest fire. When it comes to the love of horses, Hannah can't lose to anyone.
In October 2019, Hannah's daughter Kit suffered a serious head injury in a horse riding accident, and Hannah, who was in Europe, had to return to Australia to care for her daughter. Even so, Hannah did not return to Australia alone, but took her horse back with her and continued to receive instruction from Swedish equestrian Patrick Kittel through online video.
Speaking about her choices, Hannah said: "I continued to prepare for the Olympics at home, and I did. ”
Hannah hadn't thought about doing something else, after all, after so many years in the equestrian industry, it was time to rest.
She tried other sports, such as pentathlon and sailing, but after a while, she chose to return to her favorite racecourse: "I always end up back on horseback riding, it's something I really love and I do my best to stay at the racecourse." ”
The Olympic debut was the most memorable
Becoming Australia's oldest Ever Olympic Athlete, or even the oldest at the Tokyo Olympics, is none of the same for Hannah.
Hannah told the media: "I never considered the issue of age, young and old, you can ride a horse, if you are healthy, you can stick to it." ”
Of the six Olympic Games, Hannah was most impressed by the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, the first Olympics she participated in. "Everything was new to me, I didn't have any pressure and I didn't have any expectations. My Mamousacco and I are honored to perform on this glorious occasion. ”
The next target is the Paris Olympics
According to statistics, Mary Hannah is the second oldest woman in the history of the Olympic Games, second only to the British equestrian player Lorna Johnstone, who participated in the 1972 Olympic Games at the age of 70, becoming the oldest female athlete in the history of the Olympic Games.
Hannah still has the opportunity and the willingness to break Johnstone's record. She said she plans to participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics as long as her health allows. "It's only been 3 years since the Paris Olympics. Unless my body really collapsed, my goal was definitely Paris. ”
The "grandparents" of the equestrian arena
Equestrian sports are indeed fertile ground for "elderly players", and if there is a horse race that matches tacit understanding, riders who rely mainly on skill and experience can achieve results in fierce competition. Of the six oldest competitors in Olympic history, five were early in equestrian events.
01 Pompratz(72)
Image from the web
The Austrian competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. He had just turned 72 at the time of his entry, the second oldest in Olympic history. He also helped Austria finish 4th in the dressage men's event with his teammates.
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Hiroshi Hoketsu (aged 71)
At the age of 71, Hiroshi Kazu, a Japanese rider, competed in the individual event of dressage at the London 2012 Olympic Games, and finally finished 40th. In fact, as early as the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, he made his Olympic debut. Although the competitiveness is not as good as before, the 80-year-old Fahua Tsuhiro is still training.
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Lorna Johnstone (70)
At the 1972 Munich Olympics, the 70-year-old Johnstone represented The United Kingdom in an equestrian dressage competition.
She competed in three Olympic Games, the best of which was a 5th place in the team mix at the 1968 Mexico Olympics.
She is still the oldest female athlete in Olympic history.
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Count du Douet de Graville (aged 69)
Gravel was a French equestrian in the early 20th century.
At the 1900 Paris Olympics, the 69-year-old competed in equestrian competitions, and the knights who competed with him were only a third of his age. It was the only Olympics he had participated in.
After 12 years at the Olympic Games in his hometown, Gravel, a member of the French aristocracy, passed away.
05 Ian Millar (65)
Who are the athletes who have participated in the 10 Olympic Games?
The answer is Ian Miller. The Canadian made his Olympic debut in Munich in 1972 and competed in the equestrian track obstacle course. He then represented his country in 9 Olympic Games, giving a farewell performance at the London Olympics.
If he could participate in the 1980 Moscow Olympics, Miller's achievements would be even more brilliant. At the time, Canada and a number of other countries boycotted the event for political reasons. 11 Olympic Games? That would be a record that never came.
On the field, the young contestants showed us passion, while the older contestants taught us to grow. They are not afraid of hardships and do not succumb to fate; they have interpreted for us the spirit of endless life and continuous fighting! Whether it's on the Olympic track or on the track of life.