Tokyo 2020: Fouaad Mirza puts up a strong performance at the Olympics

Bengaluru, Aug 2: Fouaad Mirza created history by becoming the first Indian equestrian ever to reach the Olympic finals. He was also the first Indian after two decades to have qualified for the Olympics.

Fouaad and his equine partner, Seigneur Medicott, put up a remarkable show through the five-day Eventing Competition, finishing with an overall ranking of 23 and score of 59.60.

Fouaad Mirza participated in Individual Eventing also described as an equestrian triathlon. The competition consists of 3 main phases of the Equestrian Eventing competition namely Dressage, Cross Country and Show Jumping.

In Dressage, the first phase, Fouaad was placed at 9th rank with 28.0 penalties where athletes were required to perform a series of predetermined movements, known as 'figures' or "movements" in an arena to showcase horse's obedience, flexibility and harmony.

In the second phase which is Cross - country, Fouaad was ranked 22 with a total of 39.20 penalties. In cross-country, each athlete gallops around 4500m of natural terrain with up to 38 obstacles such as logs, woodpiles, ditches, etc increasing the difficulty. Penalties are incurred basis on jumping error, refusals, and time delay.

The third and final phase is of Show Jumping where athletes compete in an arena over a course of 11 - 12 knock - able obstacles. In an enthralling Show Jumping qualifier round, Fouaad ranked 25 with a total of 47.20 penalties.

This progressed him to the Show Jumping finals which have the top 25 riders participating in the last phase of the competition. The Show Jumping finals concluded for Fouaad with a total cumulative penalties of 59.60 (Dressage + Cross Country + Show Jumping Qualifiers + Show Jumping Finals), placing him 23rd out of all the participants.

Sharing his experience, Fouaad said, "I'm honoured to have represented my country at the Olympics, and the last few days are notably some of the most memorable moments of my life. The entire experience of being part of such a significant global event, and having the opportunity compete with athletes from across the world is truly one of a kind. A lot of hard work and dedication has gone into achieving this milestone today. I have always believed that you either win or you learn. I'm grateful for my journey so far and would like to thank my parents for always being with me. I would like to thank all my coaches and trainers for believing in me and bringing out the best in me. Special thanks and acknowledgement to my sponsor Embassy Group and Jitu Virwani for their continuous support throughout my Olympic journey."

Jitu Virwani, Chairman and Managing Director at Embassy Group, who has backed Mirza through his career said, "Today marks an unforgettable moment in the history of Indian sports. Fouaad's achievements at the Olympics is the start of great beginnings and will only pave the way forward for the growth of the sport. He has been a dedicated student at the Embassy International Riding School and we have witnessed his incredible journey as an athlete. We always believed in his skill and abilities, and it was early in the day when we began investing in his journey towards becoming one of India's finest athletes in equestrian sport. Today, Fouaad has not only fulfilled his dream but also that of representing his country at an international platform. His story is indeed an inspiration for thousands of young equestrian riders in India and across the globe."