Germany's Michael Jung on Monday clinched gold in the equestrian individual eventing at the Paris Olympics, making history as the first rider to win three individual eventing titles.

Gold medalist Michael Jung of Germany reacts during the awarding ceremony of eventing individual jumping of equestrian at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Versailles, France, July 29, 2024. (Xinhua/Yang Lei)

Riding his horse Chipmunk FRH, Jung secured the top spot with a final score of 21.80 penalty points. Australia's Christopher Burton claimed silver with a score of 22.40, while Great Britain's Laura Collett took bronze with a score of 23.10.

Chinese rider Alex Hua Tian finished in 23rd place. Despite an excellent morning session performance with his horse Chocs, penalties from the previous day's cross-country phase affected his overall score, leaving him with a total of 44.20 penalty points. This placed him 25th, only just qualifying him for the finals.

The afternoon finals were fiercely contested, with the top 25 riders' cumulative scores determining the final standings.

The leading three riders held their positions, all completing the final jumping round without penalties. Hua Tian and Chocs also delivered a flawless round, improving their final ranking to 23rd.

Reflecting on his performance, Hua Tian praised Chocs for an outstanding effort. "The afternoon's final competition was amazing. I felt like I was on the clouds all the way around there," he said.

However, Hua Tian expressed "shame" and "disappointment" over the "controversial penalties" from the previous day, believing they cost Chocs a chance at a remarkable finish at the Olympics.

"He's been brilliant all week, and I couldn't have asked for more. The crowd adored him; he's a hero to me and everyone else," Hua Tian added.

Jia Dapeng, leader of China's equestrian team, acknowledged the challenges faced by the team. "Although the results were not ideal, China's equestrian team showed great courage and determination. This spirit is already a success, and I am confident in the future development of Chinese equestrian sports," he stated.