Andrew-Hoy

Picture Credit: Instagram/hoyeventing

In a recent development, it has now been confirmed that veteran equestrian Andrew Hoy will compete in a record-extending eighth Olympics after being named in the Australian team on Friday. This achievement comes 37 years after he made his debut at the Olympics in the 1984 Los Angeles Games.

The three-time gold medallist will extend his own record for the most Olympic appearances by an Australian athlete also becoming the oldest male competitors from his country at 62.

I have never set out to break records, says Hoy

"To represent Australia at the international level over so many years has been the greatest privilege and honour of my life," he said as quoted in an AFP report.

"I have never set out to break records on my number of Olympic Games participations -– I am just a country boy who loves his horses, has a huge passion for our sport and thrives on being competitive at the top end," he added.

Meanwhile, Hoy is set to ride Vassily de Lassos, a 12-year-old gelding, in Tokyo and will become the 13th person in the history of the Olympics to contest in as many as eight games.

Hoy will be accompanied by Mary Hanna, who herself is 66 and qualified for her sixth Olympics, becoming the first and the oldest ever Australian to do so.