The story

Spare a thought for Alex Hua Tian -- just 18 years old and the weight of a nation's expectations heaped high on his young shoulders. The Hong Kong-born event rider has yet to qualify for a place in the Equestrian competition of the XXIX Olympiad, but already he is being touted as one of China's gold medal hopefuls.

Adding to the pressure is the fact that the as-yet unqualified Hua is China's only horse-riding hopeful. And if he does compete, he will be the country's first-ever competitor in this event.

So is the youngster under any pressure? If he is, his father isn't telling. "Absolutely not," says his father Hua Shan. "He enjoys it and he's doing well at the moment." Read full article »