70-year-old equestrian Hiroshi Hoketsu

4 years ago, Japanese equestrian Hiroshi Hoketsu was the oldest Olympian to compete within the Beijing Olympics. On Saturday, the 70-year-old rider developed a bid to get the oldest competitor london, too.

Hoketsu qualified for your 2012 Summer Olympics this last week by winning a global dressage meet in France. He was aboard the 15-year-old Whisper.
Japanese officials have not yet announce whether Hoketsu, who definitely are 71 when from the Opening Ceremony, will compete.

"To put it pompously," he told reporters, "it was a miracle. Last summer, I thought it would be impossible to make London, so it fills me with deep emotions."

Hoketsu made his Olympic debut as part of his his native Japan in 1964, finishing 40th in show jumping. He qualified again in 1988 but was not able to compete when his horse was quarantined. In Beijing, Hoketsu finished 35th from 47 competitors inside the individual dressage event.

The oldest Olympian of all time was Oscar Swahn, who competed within the 1920 Antwerp Games in the chronilogical age of 72. He earned a silver that year included in the Swedish double-shot running deer team. Swahn won someone gold medal as part of his first Olympics in 1908 on the tender chronilogical age of 60. He won a team gold 4 years later in Stockholm. Though he was defending champion inside the running deer shooting, single-shot competition, Swahn only managed fifth invest those 1912 Games. The winner would be a 32-year-old named Alfred. He was Oscar's son.

Source : http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/olympics-fourth-place-medal/70-old-equestrian-olympic-miracle-174136391.html

By Chris Chase | Fourth-Place Medal

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