Annika Schleu Explained

Annika Zillekens
Birth Name:Annika Schleu
Nationality:German
Birth Date:3 April 1990
Birth Place:Berlin, Germany
Height:1.75 m[1]
Weight:63 kg
Sport:Modern Pentathlon
Show-Medals:yes

Annika Zillekens née Schleu (born 3 April 1990) is a German modern pentathlete. She won the gold medal of the relay event at the 2012 World Championships and 2017 World Championships. She has competed in four Olympic Games, finishing in 26th place in 2012 and in 4th place in 2016.[2] In 2021, at the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Zillekens, under her maiden name Annika Schleu, received widespread attention after her treatment of the horse she was assigned for the riding portion of the event went viral. Her reaction, and the resulting controversy of the event, partially contributed to modern pentathlon removing equestrian jumping from their competition.

Personal life

She was born in Berlin, Germany.[3] She is married to fellow modern pentathlete Christian Zillekens.[4]

Individual events

She won the silver medal at the 2018 World Championships.[5] At junior level, she also won silver at the 2008 European Junior Championships.[6]

2020 Tokyo Olympics

Schleu was leading the competition at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics when she was unable to successfully complete the show jumping event, moving her from first to last place, and an eventual 31st place.[7] [8] Her trainer Kim Raisner was sent home from the Olympics after footage showed her seemingly punch Schleu's assigned horse for not performing in a desired manner.[9] The horse named Saint Boy was randomly assigned from a pool of 18 and had also with Russian Olympic Committee athlete Gulnaz Gubaydullina (32nd overall) refused to jump three barriers in the second half of the equestrian course. Schleu also faced backlash against her repeated use of the whip and rough handling of her horse.[10] The incident prompted German Olympic team member and equestrian medal record holder Isabell Werth to criticize modern pentathlon's use of horses; she stated that "Pentathlon has nothing to do with equestrian sport" and treats horses as "a means of transport to which the athletes have no connection."[11] Werth also expressed sympathy for Schleu, whom she saw as a victim of the system of the sport.[12]

On 13 January 2022,[13] her legal team announced that an earlier lawsuit had been dropped;[14] both Schleu and Raisner had faced legal action, with the German Animal Welfare Association filing a criminal complaint against the pair on 13 August 2021.[15] Schleu agreed to donate €500 to charity; defense attorneys said this did not constitute an admission of guilt.

In response to this issue, modern pentathlon's governing body voted to remove horse riding from its programme at the Olympics after the Paris 2024 Games.[16]

Return to competition

In 2023, Schleu returned to competition under her married name.[17] In July 2024, Schleu, under the name Annika Zillekens was nominated by Germany to compete at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games.[18] [19] Modern pentathlon at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris will be the last time the sport will include show jumping at an international games.[20] Prior to Paris, Zillekens indicated that the 2024 Olympics will be her final competition.[21]

Team events

With Lena Schöneborn, Schleu won the women's relay gold medal at the 2016 and 2017 World Championships.[22] [23] Schleu had previously been in the 2012 women's relay gold medal-winning team with Schöneborn and Janine Kohlmann.[24] She had already won silver in 2011 with Schöneborn and Eva Trautmann, at both the European Championships and the World Championships.[25] [26]

She was also part of the German women's relay team that won the silver medal at the 2014 and 2017 European Championship, alongside Lena Schöneborn.[27] [28] She again won silver at the 2018 World Championships, this time with Ronja Steinborn.[29] At the 2013 European Championships, she won the bronze medal teaming with Schöneborn and Claudia Knack.[30]

At the junior level, she was part of the German team which won the mixed relay gold at the 2011 Junior World Championships.[31]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Pentathlon.org – Pentathlon.org . 13 May 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120424142953/http://www.pentathlon.org/component/uipm/athleteprofile/pentathlete/3945-annika-schleu?q=%2Fcomponent%2Fuipm%2Fathleteprofile%2Fpentathlete%2F3945-annika-schleu . 24 April 2012 .
  2. Annika Schleu. https://web.archive.org/web/20200417221634/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/sc/annika-schleu-1.html. dead. 17 April 2020. 12 July 2019.
  3. Web site: Annika Schleu: DVMF – Deutscher Verband für Modernen Fünfkampf . 13 May 2012.
  4. Web site: "Leider wird es immer ein Teil meiner Geschichte sein". 2 September 2023. 31 May 2023.
  5. Web site: UIPM 2018 Pentathlon World Championships: Prokopenko (BLR) on top of the world at last. 12 September 2018. Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM). 12 July 2019.
  6. Web site: 2008 European Junior Championships. 4 May 2017. Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM). 12 July 2019.
  7. Web site: Annika Schleu first to last in modern pentathlon horse debacle. 7 August 2021. Nine Wide World of Sports. 9 August 2021.
  8. Web site: Stubborn horse costs Schleu a shot at modern pentathlon gold. 7 August 2021.
  9. Web site: Olympic modern pentathlon coach kicked out of Games for punching a horse. CBS News. 9 August 2021.
  10. News: Tokyo Olympics 2020: Debate erupts over treatment of horses in modern pentathlon. . 6 August 2021. 13 August 2021.
  11. Web site: Werth schimpft über Fünfkampf-Quälerei. Sport1. 7 August 2021.
  12. News: 'Hau drauf!': Deutsche Trainerin nach Vorwürfen der Tierquälerei ausgeschlossen. "Hit it!": German trainer disqualified after allegations of cruelty to animals . Kleine Zeitung. German. 7 August 2021. 13 August 2021. Ihr tue aber auch 'das Mädchen leid', die Opfer des Systems ihrer Sportart sei, betonte Werth..
  13. https://www.afpbb.com/articles/-/3384654
  14. Web site: Germany to drop investigation into Olympic horse cruelty. AP News. 2 September 2023. 11 January 2022.
  15. https://www.afpbb.com/articles/-/3361665
  16. News: 3 November 2021 . Horse riding to be dropped from modern pentathlon - report . Reuters.
  17. Web site: 31 May 2023 . "Leider wird es immer ein Teil meiner Geschichte sein" . 7 August 2024 . www.rbb24.de . de.
  18. Web site: 3 July 2024 . Germany nominates another 215 athletes for Paris Olympics . 7 August 2024 . Yahoo Sports . en-US.
  19. Web site: 5 August 2024 . Olympia 2024 in Paris: Annika Zillekens über Vorwürfe der Tierquälerei - WELT . 7 August 2024 . DIE WELT . de.
  20. Web site: 7 August 2024 . Nach Skandal um Saint Boy und Annika Schleu: Fünfkämpfer reiten in Paris ein letztes Mal . 7 August 2024 . www.fuldaerzeitung.de . de.
  21. News: Siemes . Christof . 25 July 2024 . Annika Zillekens: Ihr letzter Ritt . 7 August 2024 . Die Zeit . de-DE . 0044-2070.
  22. Web site: 2016 UIPM Senior World Championships. 8 September 2018. Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM). 12 July 2019.
  23. Web site: 2017 UIPM Senior World Championships. 25 March 2019. Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM). 12 July 2019.
  24. Web site: 2012 UIPM Senior World Championships. 4 May 2017. Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM). 12 July 2019.
  25. Web site: 2011 Senior European Championships. 4 May 2017. Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM). 12 July 2019.
  26. Web site: 2011 UIPM Senior World Championships. 4 May 2017. Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM). 12 July 2019.
  27. Web site: 2014 Senior European Championships. 4 May 2017. Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM). 12 July 2019.
  28. Web site: 2017 European Senior Championships. 23 July 2018. Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM). 12 July 2019.
  29. Web site: 2018 UIPM World Championships - Seniors. 28 October 2018. Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM). 12 July 2019.
  30. Web site: 2013 Senior European Championships. 4 May 2017. Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM). 12 July 2019.
  31. Web site: 2011 UIPM Junior World Championships. 4 May 2017. Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM). 12 July 2019.

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