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Anush Agarwalla was picked ahead of Shruti Vora after an evaluation of their recent performances. read more
 "Equestrian Anush Agarwalla to represent India")
Anush Agarwalla won a bronze medal in individual dressage at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou. PTI
Anush Agarwalla will represent India in the dressage event of the Paris Olympics after pipping Shruti Vora on better average, the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) said on Tuesday.
Agarwalla, who won a gold medal in team dressage and bronze in individual dressage events at the 2022 Asian Games, was picked ahead of Vora after an evaluation of the recent performances of the two contenders.
It will be India’s first ever entry at the dressage event in the Olympics as riders competed in eventing categories only in the previous editions.
Agarwalla (with his horse Sir Caramello Old) has been consistent since the qualification period began last year and achieved Minimum Eligibility Requirement four times, while veteran Vora earned the required two MERs this month.
When an average was taken out of the contenders, Agarwalla emerged winner. He had an average score of 67.695 per cent which was better than Vora’s 67.163 per cent.
“As per the criteria set by EFI, a rider-horse combination is required to achieve a minimum of 67 per cent twice between January 1, 2023 and June 24, 2024 to be eligible for the Paris Games qualification,” the federation said in a release.
“According to EFI selection criteria, if more than one athlete is eligible then the athlete with the highest average in Grand Prix out of the best four events in the past one year shall be chosen to participate.”
Vora (with horse Magnanimous) had earned her second MER of the year with second-place finish at the Brno Grand Prix in Czech Republic, where she scored 68.174 in the dressage event, thereby becoming eligible for the Olympics.
Vora had earned her first MER earlier this month when she became the first Indian rider to win a three-star Grand Prix event, the Dressage World Cup, held in Lipica, Sloevania with 67.761.
Her other two GP performances had scores of 66.543 per cent and 66.174 per cent which were below MER level.
Agarwalla achieved MERs four times – 67.936 per cent (Wiesbaden, May 2024), 68.261 per cent (December 2023 in Mechelen), 67.152 per cent (December 2023 in Frankfurt), and 67.804 per cent (October 2023 in Wroclaw).
Fouaad Mirza had represented India at the 2020 Tokyo Games. Before him, Imtiaz Anees competed in the 2000 Sydney Games, while Indrajit Lamba competed in 1996 Atlanta Games.
Jitendrajit Singh Ahluwalia, Hussain Singh, Mohammed Khan and Darya Singh had all competed at the 1980 Moscow Games.
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