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‘I wouldn’t change anything about Paris, apart from the rain – that was a bit s**t!’: Tom McEwen on 2024 Olympics


  • Since Paris 2024, we’ve been catching up with the riders whose stories captured fans’ imaginations, to bring their experiences exclusively to H&H subscribers. Next we have Tom McEwen, who reflects on how his two Olympic Games compare

    “Tokyo and Paris were completely different for me,” says 33-year-old British event rider, Tom McEwen, who won team gold and individual silver in Tokyo with Toledo De Kerser and team gold and individual fourth in Paris with JL Dublin.

    “Tokyo was my first Olympics and I had no idea what to expect,” Tom explains. “It made me aware of how much more media attention there is surrounding an Olympics compared to a normal championship – and I think it’s super-important for riders to make the most of that.

    “The other thing Tokyo taught me is that everyone pays attention – so all your friends that aren’t horsey or the people I went to school with who had no idea why I disappeared during term time sometimes, realised what I was doing. It made me realise the wider appeal the Olympics has.”

    Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic format discussions FEI Sports Forum

    Tom McEwen, Laura Collett and Oliver Townend claimed team gold in Tokyo. Credit: Peer Nixon

    Tom McEwen: coping with the pressure

    Tom says there was a different kind of pressure at the Tokyo Olympics, compared to Paris.

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