NZ Herald Focus Sport's Cheree Kinnear wraps all the news as Lydia Ko wins bronze and the final day of the Tokyo Games dawn. Video / NZ Herald
German pentathlete Annika Schleu maintains she did nothing wrong after coming under fire for her treatment of a horse at the Olympics.
Schleu, who finished fourth in the modern pentathlon in Rio five years ago, was in tears as her horse Saint Boy went rogue, refusing to get around thecourse or over any jumps.
Schleu was in the lead with a gold medal in her sights heading into the equestrian section but it wasn't long before her hopes of Olympic glory were ripped away. She didn't register any points and crashed to last place.
Some were upset at Schleu's constant whipping of Saint Boy when he wouldn't do as she liked, while others alleged she dug her spurs into the horse, which caused more outrage and claims of animal cruelty.
German coach Kim Raisner was kicked out of the Olympics for striking the horse as the distressing scenes sparked a huge debate about the treatment of animals in sport.
Even American actress Kaley Cuoco weighed in, slamming the situation as a "disgrace" and offering to buy the horse ridden by Schleu to "show it the life it should have".
Schleu's coach was later kicked out of the Olympics for striking the horse. Photo / AP
Schleu was deeply affected by the furore sparked by her ride, saying it was "shocking for me in several ways".
"The hatred I encountered on social media has masked the disappointment about the missed medal," she told Germany's Die Zeit newspaper after the Games.
"I did not treat the horse extremely harshly. I had a crop with me that was checked beforehand. Exactly like the spurs. I am really not aware of any cruelty to animals.
"I started crying relatively quickly. I was so tense because I realised that the competition could be over before I even started riding. The seconds that passed then felt much longer to me. It was a hopeless, difficult situation for the horse and for me."
Schleu said she could have "reacted a little more calmly" but "you just don't have that much time" when dealing with the stress of competition.
She also said she got off social media because the backlash was so severe, and hit out at modern pentathlon's global governing body for not showing her any support.
"Of course it does something to me. It doesn't feel nice," she said of the blowback. "I did not expect this severe assessment from the outside.
I pity Annika Schleu for this ride. She is an excellent rider herself but having meltdown not helping at all. Horse feels and multiply it by ten. Come back stronger Annika. ❤️ https://t.co/BdFetU02pB
— UIPM - World Pentathlon (@WorldPentathlon) August 8, 2021
"I'm almost ready to say that it is more important to me to cope with it mentally than to generate sponsors. I don't want to have to expose myself to this hatred."
"Once you've experienced something like me, it's very difficult to recover from it."
Show jumping is arguably the most difficult component of modern pentathlon because athletes don't ride their own horses. Instead, they are assigned a horse they meet about 20 minutes before the event.
Cuoco, who starred on hit TV show The Big Bang Theory, had no sympathy for Schleu or Raisner, though, and hit out on social media at the weekend. The 35-year-old is married to horse trainer and equestrian Karl Cook, is an equestrian herself and met her husband at an equestrian event.
"I feel it's my duty and heart to comment on this disgrace," Cuoco wrote. "This is not Olympic show jumping. This is a disgusting, classless, abusive representation of our sport in so many ways. This team should be ashamed of themselves.
"You and your team did not do your country proud or this sport. You make us look bad. Shame on you and godspeed to any animal that comes in contact with you.
"Pure classless behaviour right here. Disgusting on all levels. This is not our sport. This does not represent our sport.
"This rider and her 'trainer' are a disgrace. I'll buy that horse outright and show it the life it should have. Name your price."
In the days since, Cuoco has re-posted news articles and messages of support for her stance on Instagram.
