Brazilian equestrian great Pessoa chosen for his 7th Olympics

RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazilian show jumping idol Rodrigo Pessoa has been called up for his seventh Olympic Games at the age of 48, the country's equestrian confederation said on Monday.

Head coach Philippe Guerdat also named Olympic debutants Marlon Zanotelli, Luiz Azevedo and Yuri Mansur in his four-man squad for the Tokyo Games, to be held from July 23 to August 8.

"It's going to be a different situation because of the pandemic but I've participated in six Olympic Games, all of which have brought me different emotions, from the best to the worst," the Folha de S.Paulo newspaper quoted Pessoa as saying.

"My three teammates are good riders who participate in five-star competitions. I'll try to make them calm and will hopefully provide the necessary experience so that we can come over any challenge."

Pessoa, who will ride on Carlitos Way, is one of Brazil's most successful Olympians, having won the gold medal in Athens in 2004 as well as bronze medals at the 2000 Sydney and 1996 Atlanta Games.

He was overlooked for the Brazil team at the Rio 2016 Olympics after falling out with then-coach George Morris.

Pessoa announced his intention to return to competition in November 2019 after a successful spell as Ireland's high-performance jumping director.