Germany’s modern pentathlon coach, Kim Raisner, will not be part of Saturday’s men’s individual competition at the Tokyo Olympics. Raisner struck a horse with her fist and urged rider Annika Schleu to ‘really hit’ the horse when it refused to jump during the women’s event on Friday.
Alfons Hoermann, president of the Germany Olympic Committee, confirmed the news and called for an overhaul of modern pentathlon rules. Competitors are currently allocated horses for the equestrian stage of the event in a random draw shortly before it begins.
‘We were all in agreement that the coach will not be at the competition on Saturday,’ Hoermann said. ‘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.’
