After a scandal about the German pentathlete
Reports: Modern pentathlon should take place in the future with cycling instead of riding
Overstrained horse, overstrained rider: The German pentathlete Annika Schleu and national trainer Kim Raisner (not in the picture) caused a scandal with their rabid behavior towards the horse in Tokyo
© Marijan Murat / DPA
According to media reports, the pentathlon world association wants to draw conclusions from the scandal in Tokyo and replace riding with cycling. The German athlete Schleu and the national trainer were criticized for their rude behavior towards the horse.
According to reports, the World Federation of Modern Pentathlon plans to replace the riding discipline with cycling in the future. The British “Guardian” and the industry service “Inside the Games” want to have found out about this rule change from several sources, as both wrote on Tuesday. The decision was therefore made at a meeting of the UIPM umbrella organization, in which the cancellation of riding was voted on. The vote should be a reaction to the riding scandal surrounding 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.
Strategic meeting of the world association UIMP
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”.
The disciplines in modern pentathlon include horse riding, fencing and swimming as well as the so-called laser run – a combined competition of running and shooting with a laser pistol.