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Annika Schleu

(Redirected from Annika Zillekens)

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.

Annika Zillekens
Annika Schleu in 2012
Personal information
Birth nameAnnika Schleu
NationalityGerman
Born (1990-04-03) 3 April 1990 (age 34)
Berlin, Germany
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[1]
Weight63 kg (139 lb)[1]
Sport
Country Germany
SportModern Pentathlon
Medal record
Women's modern pentathlon
Representing  Germany
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2011 Moscow Team
Gold medal – first place 2012 Rome Relay
Gold medal – first place 2016 Moscow Relay
Gold medal – first place 2017 Cairo Relay
Gold medal – first place 2021 Cairo Team
Silver medal – second place 2011 Moscow Relay
Silver medal – second place 2015 Berlin Team
Silver medal – second place 2018 Mexico City Individual
Silver medal – second place 2018 Mexico City Relay
Bronze medal – third place 2010 Chengdu Team
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Moscow Team
Bronze medal – third place 2017 Cairo Team
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Mexico City Team
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Budapest Team
European Games
Gold medal – first place 2023 Kraków-Małopolska Team
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2010 Debrecen Team
Gold medal – first place 2014 Székesfehérvár Team
Gold medal – first place 2015 Bath Relay
Gold medal – first place 2017 Minsk Relay
Gold medal – first place 2023 Kraków Team
Silver medal – second place 2010 Debrecen Relay
Silver medal – second place 2011 Medway Team
Silver medal – second place 2011 Medway Relay
Silver medal – second place 2014 Székesfehérvár Relay
Silver medal – second place 2015 Bath Team
Silver medal – second place 2024 Budapest Relay
Bronze medal – third place 2013 Drzonków Team
Bronze medal – third place 2013 Drzonków Relay

Personal life

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

Individual events

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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

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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

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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

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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]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Pentathlon.org – Pentathlon.org". Archived from the original on 24 April 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
  2. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Annika Schleu". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  3. ^ "Annika Schleu: DVMF – Deutscher Verband für Modernen Fünfkampf". Retrieved 13 May 2012.
  4. ^ ""Leider wird es immer ein Teil meiner Geschichte sein"". 31 May 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  5. ^ "UIPM 2018 Pentathlon World Championships: Prokopenko (BLR) on top of the world at last". Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM). 12 September 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  6. ^ "2008 European Junior Championships". Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM). 4 May 2017. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  7. ^ "Annika Schleu first to last in modern pentathlon horse debacle". Nine Wide World of Sports. 7 August 2021. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  8. ^ "Stubborn horse costs Schleu a shot at modern pentathlon gold". Associated Press News. 6 August 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  9. ^ "Olympic modern pentathlon coach kicked out of Games for punching a horse". CBS News. 7 August 2021. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  10. ^ "Tokyo Olympics 2020: Debate erupts over treatment of horses in modern pentathlon". The New Zealand Herald. 6 August 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  11. ^ "Werth schimpft über Fünfkampf-Quälerei". Sport1. 6 August 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  12. ^ "'Hau drauf!': Deutsche Trainerin nach Vorwürfen der Tierquälerei ausgeschlossen" ["Hit it!": German trainer disqualified after allegations of cruelty to animals]. Kleine Zeitung (in German). 7 August 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2021. Ihr tue aber auch 'das Mädchen leid', die Opfer des Systems ihrer Sportart sei, betonte Werth.
  13. ^ "東京五輪で馬を虐待した近代五種選手、訴追されず". 12 January 2022.
  14. ^ "Germany to drop investigation into Olympic horse cruelty". AP News. 11 January 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  15. ^ "近代五種独代表と馬たたいたコーチ、動物虐待で訴えられる". 14 August 2021.
  16. ^ "Horse riding to be dropped from modern pentathlon - report". Reuters. 3 November 2021.
  17. ^ ""Leider wird es immer ein Teil meiner Geschichte sein"". www.rbb24.de (in German). 31 May 2023. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  18. ^ "Germany nominates another 215 athletes for Paris Olympics". Yahoo Sports. 3 July 2024. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  19. ^ "Olympia 2024 in Paris: Annika Zillekens über Vorwürfe der Tierquälerei - WELT". DIE WELT (in German). 5 August 2024. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  20. ^ "Nach Skandal um Saint Boy und Annika Schleu: Fünfkämpfer reiten in Paris ein letztes Mal". www.fuldaerzeitung.de (in German). 7 August 2024. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  21. ^ Siemes, Christof (25 July 2024). "Annika Zillekens: Ihr letzter Ritt". Die Zeit (in German). ISSN 0044-2070. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  22. ^ "2016 UIPM Senior World Championships". Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM). 8 September 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  23. ^ "2017 UIPM Senior World Championships". Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM). 25 March 2019. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  24. ^ "2012 UIPM Senior World Championships". Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM). 4 May 2017. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  25. ^ "2011 Senior European Championships". Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM). 4 May 2017. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  26. ^ "2011 UIPM Senior World Championships". Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM). 4 May 2017. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  27. ^ "2014 Senior European Championships". Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM). 4 May 2017. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  28. ^ "2017 European Senior Championships". Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM). 23 July 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  29. ^ "2018 UIPM World Championships - Seniors". Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM). 28 October 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  30. ^ "2013 Senior European Championships". Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM). 4 May 2017. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  31. ^ "2011 UIPM Junior World Championships". Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM). 4 May 2017. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
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