Rodrigo Pessoa (BRA) Receives 2010 Pierre de Coubertin World Fair Play Diploma

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Rodrigo Pessoa competing in the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. Photo © Dirk Caremans

Lausanne (SUI), 27 January 2011 – Rodrigo Pessoa (BRA) was tonight awarded the 2010 Pierre de Coubertin World Fair Play Diploma for his generous act of fair play during the Rolex Final Four to decide the individual Jumping medals at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games last October.

The Brazilian Jumping rider, 1998 World and 2004 Olympic champion, and triple FEI World Cup winner was one of the final four fighting for the individual gold. The other challengers were 2008 Olympic Champion Eric Lamaze of Canada, Belgium’s Philippe Lejeune, who had taken part in four FEI World Equestrian Games and eight FEI European Championships, and the young Saudi rider Abdullah Sharbatly for whom competition at this level was a first. While Sharbatly was getting ready to ride Pessoa’s horse Rebozza, he asked the far more experienced Brazilian for some guidance. Pessoa explained at length how to ride the horse, pointed out the most difficult fences, and gave his opponent advice on how to tackle the course. The Saudi rider used Pessoa’s advice to great effect, going on to secure the silver medal, while Rodrigo finished in fourth place just out of the medals. His generous spirited gesture was acknowledged by loud applause from the spectators in Kentucky.

Pessoa is one of three 2010 Pierre de Coubertin World Fair Play Diploma recipients, the other two being Bulgarian judo player Yoana Damyanova and triathlete Raquel Mafra Rocha of Portugal, both of whom competed in the first edition of the Youth Olympic Games held in Singapore last year. Football player Amin Motavassel Zadeh from Iran, decathlete Darius Draudvila from Lithuania and Chinese wrestler Gao Feng were awarded the 2010 Pierre de Coubertin World Fair Play Trophy.

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