Olympics in Tokyo. If you remember, the most embarrassing scene in the Japanese arenas was the modern pentathlon. It was about a horse named Saint Boy and a German Olympian named Annika Schleu. The Olympian also wanted a good result in the sub-discipline that is carried out on horseback.
Saint Boy didn’t think much of it, wanted to be left alone and refused to serve, and had no desire to jump over any obstacles. The rider then burst into tears and her trainer gave the well-known advice to finally strike with the whip. If you are not willing, I will need force.
You can’t say this was particularly well received. Many believed that this would be the end of this multi-sport in the Olympic program, and therefore its final end, because without support from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) it would have become unnecessary in the national and international sports canon.
Running and shooting as a “combined”
What to do? In the World Pentathlon Association, just telling people that the military-inspired all-around event was personally close to the heart of Pierre de Coubertin, the pioneer of the games, and has been in the program since 1912, would not be enough. But that’s not a problem for President Klaus Schormann and his association colleagues.
When it was said years ago that the high expenditure on the competition venues was “unfavorably proportionate to the relatively low public interest in this sport” and IOC boss Rogge suggested expulsion for 2008, the pentathlon saved itself with adjustments. The disciplines of running and shooting became “Combined” in 2009, and when shooting with laser beams instead of air pistols, it became “Laser Run”. So slowly again: Modern pentathlon is swimming, fencing, horse riding, laser running. At least that’s how it was.
“Obstacle” now as a new discipline
Then came the story with Saint Boy, and it wasn’t just animal rights activists who realized that this couldn’t continue. Riding is out. The reason could be that its quality in the context of the modern pentathlon is in an unfavorable relationship to what is desirable. In any case, the association’s ability to survive was once again in demand.
Michael Reinsch, Berlin Published/Updated: Published/Updated: Recommendations: 3 Published/Updated: Recommendations: 2
Ride a bike? A healthy alternative, especially for horses. But now the IOC has given the pentathlon the green light for the 2028 Games in Los Angeles. Without horses. With “Obstacle” as a new discipline, an obstacle course as a kind of light version of “Ninja Warrior”. Whether this is good news for the sporting calendar remains to be seen, but it is definitely good news for the horses. However, there is also a bad one for them: At the Olympics in Paris there will be another riding event in the modern pentathlon.
