‘Sometimes I get to the point where I ask myself: how did you actually do it?’ Even a few months after his sensational triumph at the Olympic Games in Paris, Christian Kukuk still seems somewhat incredulous when he talks about his path to the gold medal. A path that is peppered with many fateful moments, encounters and coincidences that ultimately result in a perfect script. The highlight: the positive pregnancy test of his partner immediately before the Olympic individual final. In the fourth episode of the CHIO Aachen podcast, recorded on the grounds of the legendary Ludger Beerbaum in Riesenbeck, the show-jumper talks about his life and reveals that he initially had no interest in riding as a teenager.

At the age of 34, Christian Kukuk has already reached the Olympus of show jumping – quite literally. However, the Warendorf-born rider and those around him could not have foreseen that he would make it this far at a young age. For Christian, who grew up in an equestrian family, riding was everything, but definitely not desirable – quite the opposite. ‘Riding wasn’t cool back then,’ smiles the reigning Olympic champion, adding with a grin: ’None of my friends rode back then. I thought only girls did it, so I’d rather not.’

But he started doing it anyway at some point. And how! The late starter, who was blessed with a lot of talent, had an impressive career. After completing a commercial apprenticeship, he ended up in the stable of his great role model Ludger Beerbaum and developed into a top rider who reached his preliminary peak as a sportsman in the city of love. In Paris, a very special place for the family, the favourite city of his mother, who died far too young. In front of his closest family and friends and immediately after receiving the most beautiful news of his life. ‘You couldn’t write a more beautiful script for everything that happened. Plus my partner’s positive pregnancy test. There’s no other way to explain it, except that there was some other force at play,’ Kukuk is certain.

In the fourth episode of the CHIO Aachen Podcast, Christian Kukuk also talks about his connection to football World Champion Thomas Müller, why the World Equestrian Festival has a great and special meaning for him and which dream he would definitely like to fulfil in the Aachen Soers before the end of his career. These and many other exciting insights into the (sporting) life of the Olympic champion can be found here and wherever podcasts are available. It’s worth giving it a listen!