Australia left Andrew Hoy out of its selection of riders to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympics on Thursday. Hoy was disappointed. He had hoped to fulfil a dream that is not easy or achievable for everyone: to compete in his ninth Olympic Games. He made his debut in Los Angeles in 1984, forty years ago. 

He has won three gold medals, a silver and a bronze at Tokyo 2020. He won the last two medals at the age of 61, and now, at 65, he regrets not being able to take part in Paris 2024.

Eight appearances is a great achievement, but no other Australian has competed in nine Olympic Games. Three athletes have done it in eight Games, and only the great Canadian rider Ian Millar is the only man to reach 10. "Over all these years in our beloved sport, I have experienced incredible ups and devastating downs," Hoy said on Instagram.

"I wouldn't be the competitive athlete that I am if I wasn't disappointed at not being selected for the Australian team going to Paris," he added. From his words, though, one could conclude that despite his veteran status, Hoy doesn't seem to have given up on his Olympic career. "This chapter of Paris 2024 may be closing, but the book isn't closed yet. We are excited to see what the future has in store for us," he said.

Hoy's story is one of overcoming. His first medal was gold in Barcelona in 1992, in the team competition (with David Green, Gillian Rolton and Matthew Ryan). This was followed by gold in Atlanta in 1996, in the team competition (with Wendy Schaeffer, Gillian Rolton and Phillip Dutton). 

In Sydney 2000, he won two more medals - gold in the team competition (with Phillip Dutton, Stuart Tinney and Matthew Ryan) and silver in the individual competition. And two more at Tokyo 2020, team silver (with Kevin McNab and Shane Rose) and individual bronze. Hoy was Australia's flag bearer at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

He won two bronze medals at the World Eventing Championships in 1986 and 2006. In his absence, Chris Burton, Shane Rose and Kevin McNab have been selected for the eventing team. Edwina Tops-Alexander will become the first Australian showjumper to compete in five Olympic Games.

For the first time, Australia will field an all-female showjumping team, with Tops-Alexander joined by debutants Hilary Scott and Thaisa Erwin.

"We are incredibly proud of our athletes who have fought so hard to be selected," said Christie Freeman, President of Equestrian Australia, without mentioning Hoy. "They are all examples of the strength, courage, resilience and determination that our sport has been associated with for generations", she said.

Spain's Jesús Ángel 'Chuso' García Bragado became the athlete with the most appearances (8) in Olympic history after competing in the men's 50-kilometre race walk final at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. The dressage and show jumping will take place in the royal park of Versailles Palace. It is located about 20 kilometres from Paris.