“My horse’s nickname will now be Pegasus, he could fly,” smiles Olympic vice-champion Karim Laghouag

On franceinfo, French rider Karim Laghouag did not hide his emotion on winning the silver medal in the eventing competition in Versailles.

“It’s incredible, it’s great, I’m delighted“, reacted Monday July 29, in the mixed zone and at the microphone of franceinfo, the French rider Karim Laghouag, after winning the silver medal in the complete equestrian competition with the French team in Versailles, behind the United Kingdom, which retains its title acquired in Tokyo in 2021.

“I was the oldest in the French delegation (48 years old, editor’s note), and the old man is not so bad“, he joked. After the gold in Rio and the bronze in Tokyo, the French team therefore won a silver medal at these Paris Games: “The palette is complete and we can perhaps have another one individually.“.

Along with Nicolas Touzaint and Stéphane Landois, Karim Laghouag finished with a total of 103.60 penalty points after the three events (dressage, cross-country and show jumping), i.e. 12.30 points more than the British. “On this occasion, the British were the overwhelming favourites“, conceded the rider.

The Olympic vice-champion also spoke about the atmosphere and the fervour of the French supporters in the prestigious setting of the park of the Château de Versailles: “It’s not recountable, a football stadium is a joke compared to it. Thirty seconds before arriving, I could already hear my name in the distance. Even my horse, his nickname, will now be Pegasus, because it made him fly“.