Why did Larissa Pauluis ride at the Olympics with a heart on her hand?

Pippa Roome's avatar
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Published In Features
Larissa Pauluis sends her late husband a message on her hands at the Paris Olympics.
Larissa Pauluis sends her late husband a message on her hands at the Paris Olympics.
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

As she did at Tokyo four years ago, Belgium’s Larissa Pauluis sent a message to her late husband Grégoire Naslin on her hands as she left the Paris Olympics arena today.

Larissa’s gloves this time said: “I promised you” and “I did it” with a heart. She explained, tearfully: “When I knew that he wouldn’t be staying with me, I made a promise to him that I would be in Paris at the Olympics – I said, ‘I promise you, I promise you, forever.’ It was a real challenge because he never saw me riding at grand prix even, but I’m here, so it’s wonderful.”

Pippa Roome
Pippa Roome
Magazine editor and eventing editor

Pippa is a true eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand experience of competing up to British Eventing intermediate and international CCI2*-L level, and has worked in the industry on a top event yard. Pippa enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in the sport at the highest level, reporting from the five-stars and international championships, including the Olympics.