Cruel watching the Modern Pentathlon. German rider who was in first place just lost any chance of a medal as her horse refused to jump the fences. Seems a bit unfair that they get assigned random horses. The German might be in a bit of trouble too, she didn't take too kindly to the horse doing her over!
Just saw that, that was heartbreaking. That horse had destroyed the chances of a Russian competitor earlier, so she was probably fearing the worst
So unfair as she was leading before. Have to wonder whether the horse was really fit for purpose as it caused issues for the other rider too.
it meant to represent the skills a soldier may have needed to escape - might need to have a sword fight, swim a river, shoot , run, or grab a strange horse
it meant to represent the skills a soldier may have needed to escape - might need to have a sword fight, swim a river, shoot , run, or grab a strange horse
I like that they combined the running and shooting, as that replicates "real life" far more than separate running and shooting
it meant to represent the skills a soldier may have needed to escape - might need to have a sword fight, swim a river, shoot , run, or grab a strange horse
But competition is supposed to be on an equal level for the athletes involved.
At least two of the horses today undermined genuine medal chances - having better selection in place, concentrating on temperament, etc., is a basic requirement to make the competition less of a Russian roulette.
Failing that, have the show-jumping be the first event.
it meant to represent the skills a soldier may have needed to escape - might need to have a sword fight, swim a river, shoot , run, or grab a strange horse
But competition is supposed to be on an equal level for the athletes involved.
At least two of the horses today undermined genuine medal chances - having better selection in place, concentrating on temperament, etc., is a basic requirement to make the competition less of a Russian roulette.
Failing that, have the show-jumping be the first event.
I’m pretty sure I head afterwards it was actually he same horse that the Russian and German ladies got that led to both their disqualification, probably a Polish horse 😉 It does seem harsh but then there are always some unfair variables in sport, how many cyclists and racing drivers have lost events because of punctures and mechanicals
it meant to represent the skills a soldier may have needed to escape - might need to have a sword fight, swim a river, shoot , run, or grab a strange horse
But competition is supposed to be on an equal level for the athletes involved.
At least two of the horses today undermined genuine medal chances - having better selection in place, concentrating on temperament, etc., is a basic requirement to make the competition less of a Russian roulette.
Failing that, have the show-jumping be the first event.
I’m pretty sure I head afterwards it was actually he same horse that the Russian and German ladies got that led to both their disqualification, probably a Polish horse 😉 It does seem harsh but then there are always some unfair variables in sport, how many cyclists and racing drivers have lost events because of punctures and mechanicals
For what it's worth, I agree about the cyclists and racing drivers, but in both cases, they will have been involved in the selection/development of what's used.
The reason I said at least two of the horses was that, as well as Saint Boy causing absolute heartbreak for Annika Schleu, Constantin refused for both the Uzbek competitor and Natalya Coyle (who went from 4th to 19th), but at least, unlike Schleu and 5 others she did manage to score in this round.
While I don't really have a problem with the idea of having neutral horses, they need to be better chosen and should not be shared (IMHO), a horse that has already refused the jumps can hardly be expected to act as if nothing had happened if facing the same course within a matter of minutes.
The scores in the round tell the story. I don't watch Modern Pentathlon a lot, but there is no way that so many should have scored as low as they did, unless the course was fiendishly difficult (which the better scores would suggest it wasn't).
it meant to represent the skills a soldier may have needed to escape - might need to have a sword fight, swim a river, shoot , run, or grab a strange horse
But competition is supposed to be on an equal level for the athletes involved.
At least two of the horses today undermined genuine medal chances - having better selection in place, concentrating on temperament, etc., is a basic requirement to make the competition less of a Russian roulette.
Failing that, have the show-jumping be the first event.
I’m pretty sure I head afterwards it was actually he same horse that the Russian and German ladies got that led to both their disqualification, probably a Polish horse 😉 It does seem harsh but then there are always some unfair variables in sport, how many cyclists and racing drivers have lost events because of punctures and mechanicals
For what it's worth, I agree about the cyclists and racing drivers, but in both cases, they will have been involved in the selection/development of what's used.
The reason I said at least two of the horses was that, as well as Saint Boy causing absolute heartbreak for Annika Schleu, Constantin refused for both the Uzbek competitor and Natalya Coyle (who went from 4th to 19th), but at least, unlike Schleu and 5 others she did manage to score in this round.
While I don't really have a problem with the idea of having neutral horses, they need to be better chosen and should not be shared (IMHO), a horse that has already refused the jumps can hardly be expected to act as if nothing had happened if facing the same course within a matter of minutes.
The scores in the round tell the story. I don't watch Modern Pentathlon a lot, but there is no way that so many should have scored as low as they did, unless the course was fiendishly difficult (which the better scores would suggest it wasn't).
Just now Samantha Murray on the BBC (who's competed against Schleu at London and Rio) thought it was mainly down to Schleu, and that the tension she was feeling and expressing to the horse put it off
I guess we will never know whether a better rider could have coped with that horse
it meant to represent the skills a soldier may have needed to escape - might need to have a sword fight, swim a river, shoot , run, or grab a strange horse
But competition is supposed to be on an equal level for the athletes involved.
At least two of the horses today undermined genuine medal chances - having better selection in place, concentrating on temperament, etc., is a basic requirement to make the competition less of a Russian roulette.
Failing that, have the show-jumping be the first event.
I’m pretty sure I head afterwards it was actually he same horse that the Russian and German ladies got that led to both their disqualification, probably a Polish horse 😉 It does seem harsh but then there are always some unfair variables in sport, how many cyclists and racing drivers have lost events because of punctures and mechanicals
For what it's worth, I agree about the cyclists and racing drivers, but in both cases, they will have been involved in the selection/development of what's used.
The reason I said at least two of the horses was that, as well as Saint Boy causing absolute heartbreak for Annika Schleu, Constantin refused for both the Uzbek competitor and Natalya Coyle (who went from 4th to 19th), but at least, unlike Schleu and 5 others she did manage to score in this round.
While I don't really have a problem with the idea of having neutral horses, they need to be better chosen and should not be shared (IMHO), a horse that has already refused the jumps can hardly be expected to act as if nothing had happened if facing the same course within a matter of minutes.
The scores in the round tell the story. I don't watch Modern Pentathlon a lot, but there is no way that so many should have scored as low as they did, unless the course was fiendishly difficult (which the better scores would suggest it wasn't).
Just now Samantha Murray on the BBC (who's competed against Schleu at London and Rio) thought it was mainly down to Schleu, and that the tension she was feeling and expressing to the horse put it off
I guess we will never know whether a better rider could have coped with that horse
I don't think it would have made any difference, the horse was going backwards from the beginning, IMHO Schleu, or any rider, would have found a horse that didn't want to be there as much as Saint Boy rideable.
Requiring that a competitor use a horse that had proved shortly beforehand that it was already highly stressed and unwilling to jump in the competition is unreasonable.
And, the rules of the competition strictly limit what a rider can do to attempt to control the horse (a good thing IMHO).
Yes Schleu was upset and it showed, but, even before she had managed to get to the first fence, Saint Boy had destroyed her advantage. She knew that he was destroying her Olympic dreams.
it meant to represent the skills a soldier may have needed to escape - might need to have a sword fight, swim a river, shoot , run, or grab a strange horse
But competition is supposed to be on an equal level for the athletes involved.
At least two of the horses today undermined genuine medal chances - having better selection in place, concentrating on temperament, etc., is a basic requirement to make the competition less of a Russian roulette.
Failing that, have the show-jumping be the first event.
I’m pretty sure I head afterwards it was actually he same horse that the Russian and German ladies got that led to both their disqualification, probably a Polish horse 😉 It does seem harsh but then there are always some unfair variables in sport, how many cyclists and racing drivers have lost events because of punctures and mechanicals
For what it's worth, I agree about the cyclists and racing drivers, but in both cases, they will have been involved in the selection/development of what's used.
The reason I said at least two of the horses was that, as well as Saint Boy causing absolute heartbreak for Annika Schleu, Constantin refused for both the Uzbek competitor and Natalya Coyle (who went from 4th to 19th), but at least, unlike Schleu and 5 others she did manage to score in this round.
While I don't really have a problem with the idea of having neutral horses, they need to be better chosen and should not be shared (IMHO), a horse that has already refused the jumps can hardly be expected to act as if nothing had happened if facing the same course within a matter of minutes.
The scores in the round tell the story. I don't watch Modern Pentathlon a lot, but there is no way that so many should have scored as low as they did, unless the course was fiendishly difficult (which the better scores would suggest it wasn't).
I take your point about being able to choose your equipment in other sports although often it is not the athlete’s choice and comes down to sponsorship. It does I agree seem especially harsh to be leading an event and end up DQ’d because of a clumpy horse you had nothing to do with. But sport entertains because of the level of jeopardy involved.
Comments
it meant to represent the skills a soldier may have needed to escape - might need to have a sword fight, swim a river, shoot , run, or grab a strange horse
So IMO, no cheating.
Superb silver by Laura Muir. Athletic medals are so difficult.
Kipyegon retaining the gold 5 years apart is an awesome achievement.
At least two of the horses today undermined genuine medal chances - having better selection in place, concentrating on temperament, etc., is a basic requirement to make the competition less of a Russian roulette.
Failing that, have the show-jumping be the first event.
Lucky sods
It does seem harsh but then there are always some unfair variables in sport, how many cyclists and racing drivers have lost events because of punctures and mechanicals
The reason I said at least two of the horses was that, as well as Saint Boy causing absolute heartbreak for Annika Schleu, Constantin refused for both the Uzbek competitor and Natalya Coyle (who went from 4th to 19th), but at least, unlike Schleu and 5 others she did manage to score in this round.
While I don't really have a problem with the idea of having neutral horses, they need to be better chosen and should not be shared (IMHO), a horse that has already refused the jumps can hardly be expected to act as if nothing had happened if facing the same course within a matter of minutes.
The scores in the round tell the story. I don't watch Modern Pentathlon a lot, but there is no way that so many should have scored as low as they did, unless the course was fiendishly difficult (which the better scores would suggest it wasn't).
I guess we will never know whether a better rider could have coped with that horse
Requiring that a competitor use a horse that had proved shortly beforehand that it was already highly stressed and unwilling to jump in the competition is unreasonable.
And, the rules of the competition strictly limit what a rider can do to attempt to control the horse (a good thing IMHO).
Yes Schleu was upset and it showed, but, even before she had managed to get to the first fence, Saint Boy had destroyed her advantage. She knew that he was destroying her Olympic dreams.