How did Fouaad Mirza perform at Tokyo Olympics? A detailed look at the Indian equestrian star's performance at the previous Olympic Games

Fouaad Mirza is an Indian equestrian (horse riding), who clinched silver medals at the 2018 Asian Games held in Jakarta. He won one medal in the individual eventing while the other in the team eventing along with fellow Indian riders Rakesh Kumar, Ashish Malik, and Jitender Singh.

The Bangalore-born equestrian made a remarkable debut in the Olympic Games in Tokyo despite winning a medal in the still-fledgling sport in the country. He scripted history by finishing 23rd in the final, becoming the first Indian to reach the jumping final of eventing.

It is worth noting that this sporting event is largely dominated by the Army personnel, with Mirza among the few Indian civilians besides Sydney 2000 Olympian Imtiaz Anees to have found success.

Fouaad Mirza's achievements were not only outstanding but also historic, as he became the first athlete from the country since 1982 to secure a medal in an individual equestrian event at the Asian Games.

Notably, he represented the country at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and became the third Indian equestrian after Imtiaz Anees (2000) and Indrajit Lamba (1996) to compete at the Games.

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A deeper look at Fouaad Mirza's performance at Tokyo Olympics

Fouaad Mirza commenced his Tokyo Olympics campaign, with a ninth-place finish in the dressage test at the Baji Koen Equestrian Park. Mirza, competing with his horse Seigneur Medicott, accumulated a score of 59.60 penalty points in all rounds — dressage, cross-country, jumping qualifier, and the jumping final. Meanwhile, in eventing, the horse-rider combination with the fewest penalties triumphs.

Despite Fouaad Mirza's stellar start, he faced challenges during the cross-country round at the Sea Forest Country Course, where he slipped to the 22nd position.

The two-time Asian Games silver medallist, then advanced to the jumping final, having a combined total of 47.20 penalty points from dressage, and cross-country, and the jumping qualifier placed him 25th out of 63 competitors. Notably, only the top 25 contenders qualify for the final stage.