Gold is almost within reach for pentathlete Annika Schleu. But riding becomes a drama and the Berliner weeps bitter tears. Spectators are outraged about their handling of the horse and the request of the national trainer.
Tears streaked Annika Schleu sat on her frightened horse. When the modern pentathlete’s Olympic gold dream came to an end, she desperately hit the Saint Boy with her whip over and over again. “Hit it right! Hit it!” Shouted national coach Kim Raisner – clearly audible on TV – to the Berliner. Schleu could not calm the insecure animal.
“Actually, we Germans are sensitive riders”
The previously absolutely realistic Olympic victory was nothing for the 31-year-old because she could not ride properly. At the end of the biggest sporting drama of her career and 31st place in Tokyo, she also had to deal with severe criticism from home. “When you see that, you might think that it always works like this. The successes that we usually celebrate in between speak against it,” Schleu said on ARD. “Actually, we Germans are known as good, solid and sensitive riders.”
“Modern cruelty to animals” or “No respect for animals” could be read a few minutes after the unusual scenes on Twitter. She had already “received various hateful messages”, Schleu said shortly after the competition itself. Sentences like “Get the girl off the horse” and smileys that were handed over were still part of the moderate messages. “That breaks my heart as an animal-loving person,” said Schleu.
At the beginning of riding as the third discipline in modern pentathlon, Schleu just couldn’t get the horse to start. “I was very desperate, I didn’t expect us to start the course anymore,” said the Olympic fourth from Rio and added: “I will probably need a while to get over it.”
Especially bitter for the German pentathletes: five years ago, a completely unsuccessful ride ended the dreams of a second Olympic gold for Lena Schöneborn. “I can hardly believe that this happened to us two Olympic Games in a row,” said national coach Raisner in the ARD and began to cry herself. “It is the worst, worst case that has now occurred. With all the other scores you could not have taken a medal from Annika,” said Schöneborn, who sat in the stands and witnessed the bitter moments of her long-term training partner.
The horse just wanted to go to the door
Schleu had no chance. The problems had already become apparent. A few minutes earlier, Saint Boy at Gulnas Gubaidullina from the team of the Russian Olympic Committee did not want to go over the obstacles. A veterinarian declared the horse to be ready for action, Schleu had to ride off. “It worked in the warm-up area,” she reported. There was no mistake. But the horse no longer wanted to go on the course, and Schleu had to accept the worst possible result. Raisner said, “It’s not your fault. The horse just always wanted to go to the door.”
Unlike in show jumping, the athletes in pentathlon have to enter the course with a previously unknown horse that has been drawn. The organizer makes the animals available. You will then have several riders in the saddle one after the other in the competition. Before the ride, the athletes have only 20 minutes after a draw to familiarize themselves with the horse. Schleu did not succeed at all with Saint Boy.
13 years after the historic gold from Schöneborn in Beijing, the pentathletes were without a medal. Gold went to Kate French from Britain, ahead of Laura Asadauskaite from Lithuania and Sarolta Kovacs from Hungary. The second German starter Rebecca Langrehr crossed the finish line in 28th place, and the second Berliner also had problems with the horse. In the final Laser Run – a combined competition of shooting and running – the Germans could not make it forward.
That was particularly bitter for Schleu. In the spring, the goal of the Olympics was still a long way off. She was infected with the corona virus and had to take a break for several weeks. The Berliner described the phase as a hard and depressing time. Schleu fought her way back to the top – after the ungrateful fourth place in Rio de Janeiro, but also in Tokyo, she was not rewarded with a medal.
It got off to a brilliant start. At the beginning of fencing, the world number three had underlined her ambitions and put herself at the top. After a good performance in swimming, the fourth place in the World Championship stayed in front. Then the drama started. She left it open whether the 31-year-old will be at the next Olympic Games in Paris. “If the outcome had been different, the decision would be easier,” she said.
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
