Olympia 2021 – Drama in the Modern Pentathlon: Modern is different

Despite its name, modern pentathlon is one of the traditional Olympic Games. He has been part of the Olympic program since 1912; His idea of ​​combining five games from the military game came from Baron de Coubertin, the founder of modern games.

In the past, the future of competition has been frequently discussed. In order to adapt the pentathlon to today’s times, the rules have been changed several times to make it more suitable for television. Only the third Pentathlon competitive ride was forgotten.

An actual play about the leading German Annika Schlew took place in the riding subject of the women’s competition, which should reopen the discussion of the sub-discipline of riding.

The 31-year-old Berliner was clear on the gold track after fencing and swimming, and he developed his strength in what is known as a laser run. Pentathlon was a very clear favorite for a four-way fight. But then there was the ride.

In modern pentathlon, athletes are drawn to horses, which over the years have led to sometimes strange, sometimes threatening scenes.

The horses are obviously overweight or do not fit in with the rider, jumping over the obstacle or refusing to ride. Aside from the fact that it often turns the rankings completely upside down, these are scenes that make Pentathlon speak.

Passed to the final stage

Like this time with Annika Shley. The leader was assigned a horse called the “Saint Boy”, which clearly saw everyone confused about the horse and the competition that had previously refused to serve under the Russian Pentathlete.

It is usually possible to use a replacement horse in such cases – but only if the horse has already seriously refused or already thrown the rider twice as per the rules.

“Saint Boy” did not do this, but simply showed himself to be completely unwilling or unable to walk the course.

There were tears in Shloo’s eyes before the actual trip because she couldn’t get a grip on “Saint Boy”. This continued in the course, the horse was completely deflected, but the rider did not give up, and only after four denials was she disqualified, Shloo, crying uncontrollably in the saddle, going from first to 31st and from last to last.

“She really had to ride somehow, with five drops if you want, she’s still ahead, she’s just as good,” commented national coach Kim Risner, who battled tears at both Olympic Games. Sequence. “

In 2016 in Rio, in 2008 Beijing Olympic champion Lena Schonborn faced the same fate. She also had to say goodbye to the Olympic gold medal as her horse pulled away.

Shoniborn was sitting on the stand in Tokyo when she too was silent before commenting in front of the TV camera. “One of the situations I saw in Rio,” she shook her head. “This is a very bad case.” Risner advised Shley before riding: “Hit, hit it right.” Shloo then hit the horse to the side and used the whip, but it did not improve anything.

A pain to look at, but at least a pain for the horse. In the other four fields, it is the uniqueness of the athletes, the ability to combine different sports skills, but the ride, which must set up a unit with a horse within 20 minutes of entry time, is not only spontaneous on the edge.

It does not do justice to the game, and above all it does not do justice to the horses, who could not prove it more clearly than Schleiss’s appearance. If there’s anything wrong with this modern pentathlon, it’s this equestrian competition. Olympic dressage champion Isabel Werth released a clear statement on Friday: “Pentathlon has nothing to do with riding. Horses are a means of transportation that has nothing to do with athletes. You can easily give them a bike or scooter.