Status: 02.11.2021 5:58 p.m.
According to a report, the World Federation of Modern Pentathlon has decided to replace the riding discipline with cycling in the future.
The British “Guardian” claims to have learned this rule change from several sources, as the newspaper wrote on Tuesday. The decision should be a reaction to the riding scandal about the German Annika Schleu at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Schleu and national trainer Kim Raisner were heavily criticized for their controversial behavior when riding. Both were accused of cruelty to animals after Schleu tried to use the crop to bring the horse they had been drawn under control. Raisner also punched the animal with his fist. A debate on animal welfare then flared up. The core of the discussions about riding is the approval of strange horses for the riders, who then only have a few minutes to familiarize themselves with the animals.
According to the Guardian, the world association UIPM is currently holding a series of strategic meetings on the future of sport. For Thursday the UIPM announced a communication on the results of these consultations. Shortly after the events at the Summer Games in Tokyo, the German World Federation President Klaus Schormann had assured “that riding would remain an integral part of the modern pentathlon based on the vision of Baron Pierre de Coubertin”.
Source: sportschau.de