Hiroshi Hoketsu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hiroshi Hoketsu
|
|
|---|---|
Hiroshi Hoketsu at the 2012 London Summer Olympics at Greenwich Park
|
|
| Born | March 28, 1941 |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Equestrian | ||
Representing  Japan |
||
| Asian Games | ||
| Silver | 1986 Seoul | Individual dressage |
| Silver | 1986 Seoul | Team dressage |
Hiroshi Hoketsu (法華津 寛, Hoketsu Hiroshi, born March 28, 1941) is a Japanese horse rider. He is famous for competing in the Olympics many years apart. The time between his Olympic appearances, 44 years, is the longest ever for any athlete.
Contents
About Hiroshi Hoketsu
Hiroshi Hoketsu was born on March 28, 1941. He is a skilled horse rider from Japan. He has competed in the Olympic Games several times. His long career makes him a very special athlete.
Early Olympic Appearances
Hoketsu first competed in the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. He took part in the show jumping event. He finished in 40th place in that competition.
He also qualified for the 1988 Summer Olympics. However, he could not compete there. His horse had to be kept separate from other animals. This was to prevent the spread of any possible diseases.
Later Olympic Achievements
Hiroshi Hoketsu returned to the Olympics much later in his life. At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, he was 67 years old. He competed in dressage, which is like horse dancing. His team finished 9th in the Dressage Team Grand Prix. He placed 35th in the individual Dressage Grand Prix.
In 2012, at the age of 70, Hoketsu earned a spot for Japan. He competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He took part in the individual dressage event. He finished 40th in that competition.
An Inspiring Older Athlete
Hiroshi Hoketsu is known as an inspiration for older people. He showed that age is just a number. He was the oldest athlete at both the 2008 and 2012 Games.
He is the oldest Olympian ever to compete for Japan. He is also the third oldest Olympian in history. Only Oscar Swahn of Sweden and Arthur von Pongracz competed at an older age. Swahn won a silver medal in shooting at the 1920 Summer Olympics. Pongracz competed in dressage at age 72 in the 1936 Summer Olympics.
Hiroshi Hoketsu graduated from Duke University in 1968. His dedication to equestrianism is truly remarkable.
External links
- Lua error in Module:External_links at line 369: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
