Advertisement
Annika Schleu aboard Saint Boy yesterday. Imago/PA Images

German pentathlon coach thrown out of Tokyo Games for punching a horse

Kim Raisner was trying to assist German athlete Annika Schleu as she battled to control Saint Boy.

A GERMAN MODERN modern pentathlon coach has been thrown out of the Tokyo Olympics for punching a horse during competition.

Kim Raisner was trying to assist German athlete Annika Schleu as she battled to control Saint Boy ahead of her show jumping round in the womenโ€™s event on Friday.

Athletes are given only 20 minutes to bond with an unfamiliar horse before their round and Schleu, who had been leading the field, was in tears as she came into the ring.

Saint Boy, who had already proven a tricky ride for his first athlete, bucked and refused to trot around the course, with a number of people on social media raising concerns about the way Schleu and Raisner were treating the horse.

The world governing body for modern pentathlon, the UIPM, acknowledged those concerns ahead of the menโ€™s event on Saturday and then issued a statement revealing Raisnerโ€™s punishment.

The statement read: โ€œThe UIPM Executive Board (EB) has given a black card to the Germany team coach Kim Raisner, disqualifying her from the remainder of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

โ€œThe EB reviewed video footage that showed Ms Raisner appearing to strike the horse Saint Boy, ridden by Annika Schleu, with her fist during the riding discipline of the womenโ€™s modern pentathlon competition.

โ€œHer actions were deemed to be in violation of the UIPM competition rules, which are applied to all recognised modern pentathlon competitions including the Olympic Games.

โ€œThe EB decision was made today at the Tokyo Stadium before the resumption of the menโ€™s modern pentathlon competition.โ€

Raisner is a former modern pentathlete who competed at the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

Bernard Jackman and Murray Kinsella are joined by Craig Ray on The42 Rugby Weekly to preview the deciding third Lions Test on Saturday.


The42 Rugby Weekly / SoundCloud

View 18 comments
Close
18 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy here before taking part.
Leave a Comment
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.

Leave a commentcancel