- Heavy legs and a ticket: Zillekens makes peace at the Olympics
At the end of an adventurous emotional rollercoaster, Annika Zillekens was grinning from ear to ear. While a happy ending with a medal was denied to the Modern Pentathlete in the gardens of Versailles, a last-minute withdrawal by British athlete Kate French allowed the 34-year-old to compete in the Olympic final, where she finished 15th and expressed satisfaction with a somewhat reconciliatory conclusion to her eventful career. "In summary, I'm not satisfied, but I'm happy. I'm leaving the Olympics with a big smile," said the Berliner.
The prelude to her final competition was marked by highs and lows, disappointments, and unexpected joy. Three years after the controversy in Tokyo, she and her teammate Rebecca Langrehr experienced another horse-related drama on Saturday. Ironically, it was the equestrian discipline, which is the last to be included in the Modern Pentathlon program and was the source of much controversy and animal welfare criticism in 2021, that once again proved to be their downfall.
Prelude and Déjà vu
In Tokyo, Zillekens, then known by her maiden name Schleu, made headlines when her horse refused to move, and she desperately tried to urge it on with whip strikes, tears streaming down her face. The images went viral, sparking outrage. Zillekens and then-Bundestrainer Kim Raisner, who is set to step down on September 30, were reported for animal cruelty, but the cases were later dropped.
In the semi-finals of Versailles, Zillekens experienced a déjà vu moment. As she competed with Arezzo de Riverland, the horse stumbled heavily at the fifth obstacle and then refused to proceed. "At that point, my competition briefly fell apart," she recalled later. Despite being just two seconds short of qualifying for the final, Zillekens unexpectedly received permission to participate just two hours before the competition began.
Eight-kilometer run to the Olympic final
The chase from the Olympic village to Versailles began at 9:20 AM. "But I had already run eight kilometers in the Olympic village," she reported. At 10:49 AM, eleven minutes before the start, she mounted her horse for the first discipline. Zillekens delivered a flawless ride. "I'm so happy that I could show one more beautiful ride, that I can say goodbye to the Olympics like this. That was the most important thing for me today," said the five-time world champion.
Subsequent disciplines, including fencing, swimming, and the final laser-run, did not go as smoothly. "When I realized that I couldn't run much more, I could enjoy the atmosphere," she said. In the morning's rush, Zillekens couldn't find her shooting eye shield, which she had lent to her teammate Marvin Dogue the day before. A Metro ticket provided by Bundestrainer Raisner served as a makeshift solution.
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"Career-wise, it's definitely over, I won't switch to Obstacle Racing again," Zillekens confirmed her decision. At the last Olympic event with riding, Hungarian Michelle Gulyas took first place ahead of France's Elodie Clouvel and South Korea's Seong Seungmin. The day before, Marvin Dogue and Fabian Liebig secured eighth and twelfth places respectively, with Egyptian Ahmed Elgendy winning.
In four years, in Los Angeles, instead of riding, a "Ninja Warrior" obstacle course will need to be conquered. "We're saying goodbye to the horses. We're fully focused on our new combination with the Obstacle Race," said World Federation President Klaus Schormann in conclusion.
After a challenging prelude to her final competition, it was announced: ["The following shall be added:"] the British athlete's withdrawal, providing Annika Zillekens with an unexpected opportunity to participate in the Olympic final. Despite some obstacles during her ride, Zillekens expressed joy at being able to say goodbye to the Olympics with a beautiful ride.
