German Modern Pentathlon Coach Disqualified from Tokyo Olympics After Punching Horse

German Modern Pentathlon Coach Disqualified from Tokyo Olympics After Punching Horse

A German modern pentathlon coach has been disqualified from the Tokyo Olympics after hitting a horse with her fist during Friday's competition.

As her rider Annika Schleu was struggling to get her horse to jump, coach Kim Raisner was heard on TV urging her to "really hit" the animal, according to NBC News. The coach was also seen hitting the horse herself.

The governing body for the modern pentathlon event, the UIPM, released a statement on Saturday regarding the incident, revealing that Raisner would not be able to participate in any additional events, including Saturday's men's individual competition.

"The UIPM Executive Board (EB) has given a black card to the Germany team coach Kim Raisner, disqualifying her from the remainder of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games," the statement said. "The EB reviewed video footage that showed Ms Raisner appearing to strike the horse Saint Boy, ridden by Annika Schleu, with her fist during the riding discipline of the women's modern pentathlon competition."

06 August 2021, Japan, Tokio: Modern Pentathlon: Olympics, Individual, Women, Jumping at Tokyo Stadium. The horse Saint Boy of Annika Schleu from Germany refuses to jump.
06 August 2021, Japan, Tokio: Modern Pentathlon: Olympics, Individual, Women, Jumping at Tokyo Stadium. The horse Saint Boy of Annika Schleu from Germany refuses to jump.

Marijan Murat/dpa/Getty Annika Schleu

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"Her actions were deemed to be in violation of the UIPM competition rules, which are applied to all recognised modern pentathlon competitions including the Olympic Games," the statement continued." The EB decision was made today at the Tokyo Stadium before the resumption of the men's modern pentathlon competition."

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The modern pentathlon contains five different events: fencing, freestyle swimming, equestrian show jumping, and a final combined event of pistol shooting and cross country running. For show jumping, the athletes do not use their own horses but rather draw one at random and are given 20 minutes to warm up with it before the competition.

Raisner is a retired modern pentathlete herself, having competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.

Kim Raisner
Kim Raisner

Pixathlon/Shutterstock Kim Raisner

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Prior to the UIPM's statement, Germany's Olympic team chief Alfons Hoermann had already said she had been pulled out of the men's individual competition.

"We were all in agreement that the coach will not be at the competition on Saturday," he said, per Reuters.

"We also consider that an urgent review of the incident is necessary, especially in terms of animal protection, and that the national and international federations draw their conclusions," Hoermann added.

To learn more about Team USA, visit TeamUSA.org. Watch the Tokyo Olympics now on NBC.