Equestrian Usman Khan achieves FEI revised qualification for next year’s Olympics

An award-winning spatial analyst and athlete, Usman Khan is a self-made athlete, having worked strenuously and spent huge money from his own pocket to gain the honour for the country.

Melbourne-based Pakistani horse rider Usman Khan has also accomplished the FEI revised qualification for next year’s Tokyo Olympics. He will feature in Olympics with his horse named Azad Kashmir.

The FEI has affirmed through an email tending to Usman that he is qualified to highlight in the Olympics.

“We can hereby confirm that the MER obtained in Tonimbuk in March 2020 is considered as a confirmation results and you are therefore eligible to participate in the Tokyo Olympic Games next year,” the world equestrian governing body’s (FEI) email to Usman said.

Usman Khan has been based in Australia for 15 years and during this period his aim has been to qualify in eventing for an Olympic Games.

“That meant we had to compete in one more event in 2020. Luckily that was held in March where we came fourth before COVID-19 lockdown,” Usman said.

This will be the first appearance of a Pakistani rider competing in Olympics.

“That implies we have additionally achieved FEI revised qualification for Tokyo Olympics next year,” Usman said.

Usman along his horse Azad Kashmir completed the CCI4*-L; they started with a good dressage score of 35.10, added just 2.8 time penalties on Mike Etherington-Smith’s cross country course to be in ninth place and, although they picked up 16 jumping penalties on the last day to drop to 13th, this was good enough to earn their MER and achieve Tokyo 2020 qualification - a huge achievement for Usman and Pakistan.