Veteran show jumper to skip 11th Olympic appearance

Veteran show jumper to skip 11th Olympic appearance. July. 16, 2016 07:26. . Veteran show jumper of Canada Ian Millar (69·pictured), who set a record by becoming the first athlete to compete in 10 Olympic games, will not be able to make it to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

The list of Canadian national show jumping team was announced on Thursday local time, but the name of the legendary show jumper could not be found. Ian Millar has decided not to participate this time for his mount Dixon underwent surgery to remove hematomas from his sinuses last month, and his daughter Amy Millar will fill in for the veteran in the upcoming Olympic game in Brazil.

Except for the 1980 Moscow Olympics, Ian Millar participated in Olympic games for 10 consecutive times from Munich in 1972 to London in 2012. It was in his 9th Olympic games held in Beijing in 2008 that he won a silver medal in Team Jumping, which was his first and last Olympic medal.

In addition, Afanasijs Kuzmins (69·Latvia), a veteran Olympic shooter who competed in nine Olympic games, will not be able to make it to Rio this time. From Montreal in 1976 to London in 2012, Kuzmins competed at nine Olympic games; three of which were as a Soviet Union national and the rest six were as Latvian. During the 1988 Seoul Olympics, he won gold medal in the 25-meter rapid fire pistol.

As for Team Korea, speed skater Lee Gyu-hyeok competed at six Olympics (1994-2014), and skier Heo Seung-wuk competed in five (1988-2002). Male handballer Yun Gyeong-shin (1992, 2000-2012), female handballer Oh Seong-wok (1992-2008) and shooter Lee Eun-cheol (1984-2000) participated in five summer Olympics. Oh Yeong-ran, who will compete in Rio as goalkeeper of the national female handball team, is expecting to have her fifth Olympic game (1996-2008) as well.