Tokyo Olympics: Annika Schleu's modern pentathlon hopes ended by temperamental horse
- Published
Tokyo Olympics: 'Her face says it all' - Annika Schleu loses modern pentathlon lead after horse refuses to jump
Tokyo Olympic Games on the BBC |
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Dates: 23 July-8 August Time in Tokyo: BST +8 |
Coverage: Watch live on BBC TV, BBC iPlayer, BBC Red Button and online; Listen on BBC Radio 5 Live, Sports Extra and Sounds; live text and video clips on BBC Sport website and app. |
They say in showbiz you should never work with children or animals - but what about when it's the Olympics and you don't have a choice?
Pity poor Annika Schleu - the German comfortably led the modern pentathlon until the penultimate, and always unpredictable, equestrian round.
While the sport's other four disciplines - fencing, swimming, running and shooting - are down to the competitor alone, showjumping requires the assistance of a sociable steed.
And sadly for Schleu, the somewhat inappropriately named Saint Boy proved to be more of an equine enemy.
The 31-year-old appeared to be in tears before her round began, perhaps having seen her mount misbehave for Gulnaz Gubaydullina in its previous run.
And despite finally getting going after initially refusing to start, the horse cleared just four fences before crashing into the fifth and then repeatedly refusing to jump, eliminating Schleu with zero points as it had done Gubaydullina.
"It's all falling apart - this is really, really sad to watch. She is having an absolute real life nightmare," said BBC Sport commentator and former Olympic silver medallist Heather Fell.
"This is hard to commentate on. Annika Schleu has worked so hard - she finished fourth at the last Olympic Games, it really did seem like this was her moment."
Instead, Schleu slipped from first place with a 24-point cushion to 31st because of her nil score, departing the arena in tears and inconsolable.
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Her woes yielded sympathy from some past Olympians - although Sydney 2000 bronze medallist Kate Allenby questioned why Schleu did not swap her horse for another after seeing its earlier antics.
Athletes are allocated a horse at random - with each horse having two riders, one in the lower half of the standings, one in the higher half - but they can opt to switch to a reserve ride if they so wish.
Schleu, however, chose to stick with Saint Boy, whose halo remained again markedly absent, opening the door for Great Britain's Kate French to storm to gold in the final event, the laser run.