Riding five fighters will be the death of me
Annika Zillekens Experiences a Déjà vu in Tokyo - Her Teammate Fares Worse. The German Pentathletes' Riding Once Again Proves to be Their Downfall. The Final on Sunday Will be Without the Germans.
Pentathlete Annika Zillekens experienced disappointment upon her return to the Olympic Games despite a late comeback. The 34-year-old, who made headlines in Tokyo three years ago due to a drama in riding, finished 10th in her qualifying group after riding, fencing, swimming, and laser run, narrowly missing the top 18 final. Zillekens, who handled a refusal in riding this time with ease, fell short by two points after the laser run. The second German starter, Rebecca Langrehr (18th), also failed to advance due to unwanted riding issues.
Zillekens started with 17 wins out of 35 fencing bouts. She didn't score any points in the bonus round. Her ride on Wallach Arezzo de Riverland was not optimal. Similar to three years ago in Japan, her horse refused at a fence. Zillekens remained calm and composed, but the penalty points caused her to drop back.
After swimming (2:18.88 minutes), she was within striking distance of the required ninth place, but despite a strong running performance in the laser run - Zillekens finished second in her group (11:11.93 minutes) - she failed to secure the spot. "I'm really disappointed. I would have loved for her to get another chance and make it to the final, so she could ride again and show how good she is," said national coach Kim Raisner.
Langrehr had to abandon her hopes of reaching the final even earlier. She fell while warming up before her competition, but doctors cleared her to ride. However, the veterinarian did not clear the horse assigned to her, Epervier des Brulins. A protest by Raisner was rejected. Langrehr thus ended up with no points in riding. On Saturday afternoon (from 5:30 PM), Fabian Liebig and Marvin Dogue will compete in the men's final for a top placement.
Annika Zillekens, who was then still Annika Schleu, caused a global stir at the Summer Games three years ago when, on course for gold, she desperately tried to urge her assigned horse to move on with the whip during the riding event, ultimately leading to a debate about the future of the discipline. As a result, riding will be removed from the pentathlon program after Paris, with an obstacle discipline replacing equestrian events.
Despite her late comeback, Annika Zillekens missed the opportunity to compete in the Olympic Games 2024 in Paris final due to a narrow miss in the qualifying round. With the changes in the pentathlon program after Paris, Zillekens might have a chance to showcase her skills without the riding event, which once proved to be her downfall.
