--- title: Team USA's Oldest Olympian Phillip Dutton Seeks Tokyo Gold description: America's oldest Olympic athlete, equestrian rider Phillip Dutton, plans to continue boom times for aging sport stars canonical: https://time.com/6081686/olympics-oldest-athlete-team-usa/ author: Sean Gregory article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2021-07-20T12:40:44.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:03:45.254Z article:section: Sports og:title: America's Oldest Olympian Has No Plans To Disappoint og:description: "I'll be doing my best to deliver." og:url: https://time.com/6081686/olympics-oldest-athlete-team-usa/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta84d5733b6865cbd/698a1b2722fb8562ece2c583/GettyImages-1314657878.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: America's Oldest Olympian Has No Plans To Disappoint twitter:description: "I'll be doing my best to deliver." twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta84d5733b6865cbd/698a1b2722fb8562ece2c583/GettyImages-1314657878.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Aging Athletes Are Enjoying a Moment. Team USA's Oldest Olympian Plans To Keep It Going > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with Ally. Ally is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: July 2026. ## Ally: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Ally is a digital financial services company offering online-only banking, including checking and savings accounts, through Ally.com and its mobile apps. Launched in 2009 as an original disruptor in financial services, Ally was built to challenge outdated banking norms with a simpler, more convenient way to bank. 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Terms and conditions apply. * Savings buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Savings Account. * No ATM fees from Ally Bank at Allpoint and Moneypass ATMs plus we reimburse for fees charged by other ATM owners nationwide up to $10 per statement cycle. * Early direct deposit offers eligible direct deposits up to two days sooner. * Spending buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Spending Account. ## Video: Tokyo Olympics: Sue Bird [Watch (HLS stream): Tokyo Olympics: Sue Bird](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/yXtBxVpX.m3u8) (2:56)  _Published 2021-07-08. Sue Bird, 40, has assumed the role of wizened veteran, both on and off the court. Now the WNBA’s all-time assists leader, Bird will bring her extraordinary floor vision to the Tokyo Olympics, where she and teammate Diana Taurasi hope to become the first basketball players to win five Olympic gold medals._  by [Sean Gregory/Tokyo](https://time.com/author/sean-gregory/)  ## Sean Gregory/Tokyo Senior Correspondent Jul 20, 2021 12:40 PM UTC  Phillip Dutton atop Z competes during the Stadium Jumping Phase of the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event at Kentucky Horse Park on April 25, 2021 in Lexington, Kentucky Phillip Dutton atop Z competes during the Stadium Jumping Phase of the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event at Kentucky Horse Park on April 25, 2021 in Lexington, KentuckyDylan Buell—Getty Images  by [Sean Gregory/Tokyo](https://time.com/author/sean-gregory/)  ## Sean Gregory/Tokyo Senior Correspondent Jul 20, 2021 12:40 PM UTC We’ve entered a golden age for graying athletes. Tom Brady, for example, [just won his seventh Super Bowl](https://time.com/5937229/super-bowl-2021/). He’s 43\. In May, Phil Mickelson, 50, [became the oldest golfer](https://www.espn.com/golf/story/%5F/id/31500415/phil-mickelson-50-wins-pga-championship-become-oldest-major-champion-golf-history) to ever win a major championship. So does[ America’s oldest Olympian](https://www.today.com/news/youngest-oldest-olympians-team-usa-t224355#:~:text=Phillip%20Dutton%2C%2057&text=The%2057%2Dyear%2Dold%20equestrian,since%20the%201952%20Helsinki%20Games.) at the [Tokyo Games](https://time.com/6077130/tokyo-olympics-covid19-disaster/), 57-year-old equestrian rider [Phillip Dutton](https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2021/05/27/phillip-dutton-equestrian-olympic-team-eventing/), feel extra pressure to match the age-defying performances that have recently been sweeping sports? Dutton laughs at the question. “Um, yeah,” says Dutton. “I’ll be doing my best to deliver.” The Australian-born Dutton is making his seventh Olympic appearance. He competes in eventing, a sort of equestrian triathlon that combines the disciplines dressage, cross country and show jumping. He won team eventing gold medals for Australia in 1996 and 2000\. But after moving to the United States in the 1990s to compete on the American circuit—and settling there after meeting his wife, Evie—he switched to Team USA before the Beijing Games. In Rio 2016, he won individual eventing bronze to become the oldest U.S. medalist since 1952. His hope for Tokyo gold rests on a 13-year-old horse named Z. Dutton rode Z at the 2018 world championships, and believes he’s much more seasoned now. “He’s kind of a workaholic,” says Dutton. “You can sit on him all day and he’ll still be wanting to do it. He’s a beautiful jumper and very bold and honest and trusting, which is nice.” Dutton, who says he often gets ribbed about his age in equestrian circles, credits his own longevity to staying steady. “The number one thing is your balance,” says Dutton. “You’re going at a galloping speed, 20-something miles an hour on a 1,000-lb animal that can turn on a dime or stomp or twist or deviate from the course. You have to stay on the middle of that horse at all times.” --- ### More from TIME --- He does balancing drills, like standing on one leg. But most of his work comes in the saddle. He’ll often ride six to seven different horses a day in training. “If I get on a horse, and it’s only been ridden on once or twice before in its life, that tests your balance out,” Dutton. “Because a lot of the time they’re just jumping around.” He does consider balance a physical gift. “To be fair, I was born with pretty good natural balance,” he says. “So I haven’t had to work too hard at it. I think that’s probably one of the biggest things that starts to deteriorate as you get older.” Dutton, who’s listed at 5’6″ and 150 pounds, has also maintained his power. “The strength part of it is you don’t move,” says Dutton. “It’s like you’re carrying somebody on your back and they’re moving around all the time. So there’s strength involved in that. It’s not so much weightlifting strength but a core strength.” That’s a good thing, as Dutton’s no fan of the bench press. “I don’t go to the gym at all,” says Dutton. “I grew up in Australia on a sheep and cattle farm and that was kind of a bit foreign to me. I would rather sort of walk up and down stairs or not park that close to the restaurant or whatever. When I’m not riding I play tennis or do other things to keep active rather than be on a regimented fitness schedule.” Equestrians can remain in the saddle well past middle age**;** the oldest female Olympian ever was Lorna Johnstone, a British rider who turned 70 just a few days before competing at the 1972 Olympics. Dutton says there’s no mystery why. “The horse is the athlete,” he says. “There’s no question about that. Our job is basically to get the horse to shine.” If he and Z thrive in Tokyo, Dutton would love to see his horse earn an actual medal. But only the riders collect the hardware. Winning horses, says Dutton, are rewarded with a lifetime of perks. “They get fed really well,” he says. “They’re going to live like kings for the rest of their lives.” While the equestrian horses do much of the hard work at the Games, an athlete like Dutton—who’s put in hours of practice for decades—is still worthy of respect. “I’m flattered if I’m an inspiration,” says Dutton, who is fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and insists he feels safe competing at the Games. “I like to associate myself with up and coming people and try to stay current in the sport, and not sort of dwell on what it was like in the good old days. I try to be looking ahead. I’m excited to test myself. I’m not a person who shies away from something difficult” Brady. Mickelson. 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