"The scandal in Tokyo is just an excuse": Lesun about replacing jumping with surfing, donkeys instead of horses and Ugandan pentathletes

"Once donkeys were brought to Acapulco"

- What is your attitude to the decision to remove show jumping from the pentathlon competition program?

- For the pentathlon, this is death.

Moreover, this decision is illegal.

The International Union of Modern Pentathlon pursues some goals incomprehensible to me.

- They say that the International Olympic Committee has delivered an ultimatum ...

- It's all a lie.

There is not a single document confirming this information.

Plus, there is no guarantee that by removing show jumping, we will remain in the Los Angeles Games program in 2028.

At the same time, equestrian sports, as far as I know, will definitely be there.

- What then is the logic to remove horses from the pentathlon if they will be at the Olympics anyway?

- And she's not.

There is some kind of internal struggle, which I do not yet understand.

Someone benefits from removing the horse from the pentathlon.

- It seemed that in Tokyo the horses were not ready for this level of competition.

- Absolutely agree.

Now we find fault with the German woman.

But she is a mature, experienced woman who rides well.

The horse is "jammed".

And what could she do if the horse was not ready?

I’m not making excuses that the athlete hit him, but she simply could not cope with her emotions.

A good horse cannot be thrown twice in such a situation.

You don't walk through puddles, you will jump over them.

And for the horse, our barriers are little puddles.

- Do you often see such animals at tournaments?

- Believe it or not, we once performed in Acapulco, and donkeys were brought to us instead of horses.

Truth!

The athletes were shocked.

Donkeys did not even know how to run at a gallop, they were absolutely not ridden.

How it was possible to allow such competitions to be held, I do not really understand.

Although I respect Mexico, there is a good federation.

- Why is this happening?

- We are ready to change, we can make many changes in show jumping.

But the federation itself does not want this.

She does not intend to spend money and other resources on this type of program.

Previously, we had an international training camp, but which paid great attention to horse riding, and there was also a licensing of athletes.

If you hold well in the saddle, you are allowed to compete.

And now it has been removed.

This year, the 13-year-old Japanese woman competed in an international tournament.

After the first views, she looked good, but when she approached the horse, she could not sit on it.

What is it like?

Why was she admitted to high-level competitions?

With all due respect to Japan.

- So the situation in Tokyo was just a pretext?

- Undoubtedly.

Plus, she showed all the incapacity of the international federation.

We have been walking on the razor's edge for a long time: will they throw us out or not.

If UIPM President Klaus Schormann has been unable to come to an agreement with the IOC for 28 years, perhaps it should be replaced?

Over the years, he “developed” pentathlon so much that he brought the sport to a deep crisis, and I strongly doubt that he will be able to get out of it.

Many people in the executive committee have sat in their seats and it is simply beneficial for them.

In my opinion, money is involved there.

- Which ones?

- They want to stay in their places and continue to receive subsidies from the IOC, which is paid annually to Olympic sports.

There are about 20 people in the federation.

They seem to have enough.

- You don't have to touch show jumping for this.

You can just sit and do nothing ...

- As I understand it, there is still a question of politics.

This is just my guess.

Perhaps, in fact, everything is different.

But, as I understand it, a black cat ran between the head of the IOC Thomas Bach and Schormann at some point.

- And, having removed the show jumping, he wants to regain his disposition?

- I do not exclude this option.

After all, there is not a single official letter from the IOC regarding show jumping.

Perhaps it sounded somewhere on the sidelines.

And the worst thing is that by making this decision, the UIPM is violating its own charter.

We - athletes - are now fixing everything and planning to file a claim with the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne.

The Federation wants to change the discipline, not observing the rules, the laser-run was also introduced at one time.

Not a bad idea, by the way, but first of all it was an amazing business scheme.

- Which?

“The Germans are introducing laser-run and making a lot of money, because only one company in Germany makes pistols that read the beam.

But only the equipment did not work at the competitions for two years in a row.

I have a video that confirms this.

We are told that the horse is a lottery.

Guys, you have removed several world champions in two years because the weapon provided did not work.

It's not about the horse, but about earning money.

"We are even offered surfing"

- Speaking of the lottery.

This is another argument against show jumping ...

- This is our sixth kind - an arrangement with luck.

You just need to change the rules a little.

If the horse does not pass the route, as it was in Tokyo, because it is overwhelmed, give the opportunity to be replaced.

If the person is to blame, then it is no longer possible.

- What other changes in show jumping rules do you propose?

- First, you can change the height.

At the World Championships we sometimes compete with 80-100 cm hurdles, and at the Olympic Games they put 120. We are ready to do fewer jumps, not 15. But the younger generation must be trained to ride a horse, international training camps are needed.

The host country of the competition must provide the same livestock, and not so - with the world on a string.

- Another innovation that will affect the upcoming Games: the pentathlon should be within an hour and a half in order to become more spectacular.

This is real?

- Officials say that even three or four competitions have already been held in this format.

But 70 percent of athletes have no idea what the tournaments will look like next year.

- Each of the five sports separately at the Games is very interesting to watch, even shooting.

Why does it turn out together that not?

- It's just that no one wants to develop pentathlon.

It's easier to spend money on yourself: flights, hotels.

Everything goes to the officials, not the athletes and the organization of the competition.

I have, at least, that feeling.

I saw it for ten years while I was in favor.

We have bad buses, and they come in good cars.

It's 2021, and we are still filming competitions on our phones!

They say that there are sponsors, but since 2012 I have not seen them.

Lufthansa was and remains, but now the company only pays for flights.

Gone are Speedo and Arena.

- What options are offered now instead of show jumping?

- I respect any sport, because each is difficult in its own way.

But I don't know how to replace the horses.

I heard it is even called surfing.

But he clearly does not fit.

The British in Tokyo won two gold medals for the first time in history.

Germany and Russia are in the lead.

Should these countries be offered surfing?

Are you seriously?

Equestrian sports develop strength, endurance, and coordination.

You must behave and the horse.

Fast decision making is important.

Plus an agreement with the Universe, with luck.

Boxing, wrestling, surfing - they are all incomparable.

- Changing the sport will lead to a restructuring of the entire methodology of training athletes.

And it turns out that the current champions can pack their bags?

- We need not only a new methodology, but also bases, schools.

Can you imagine how much money will be needed to rebuild all the pentathlon facilities in the world?

The question must be thoroughly worked out, the theoretical part must be prepared.

The same situation was with the laser wound at one time, they quickly voted and that's it.

As you can see, they decided to do the same now.

Europe and democracy seem to be, but it is not being observed yet.

- Why do countries agree?

Do they not understand how global changes await them in the system?

“I don’t know what kind of wind blows in their heads.

However, many national federations exist in our country exclusively on paper.

I find it funny when they write on the UIPM website that Uganda supported the decision to remove show jumping.

I have not seen a single athlete from this country at tournaments or at least one request from Uganda to conduct a duathlon (swimming and running. -

).

On the other hand, our honored people support this decision.

For example, two-time Olympic champion Andrei Moiseev.

He also believes that the horse should be removed.

But Beijing forgets, where the horse helped him to win.

And other figures are also let down by their memory.

They won by knight, not in spite of.

Yes, keeping a horse is quite costly: about 30 thousand a month.

And she can still get sick as a person.

For school you need to have 10-15 strong animals and as many very weak ones to learn the basics of riding.

It turns out somewhere around 900 thousand a month purely for maintenance.

In Russia, very few regions are willing to spend so much.

After all, exhaust is only two medals at the Olympic Games.

But here, again, a question for the UIPM: where is the third promised set of awards?

We were expecting a mixed, but the federation with the IOC did not come to an agreement.

Although, using the example of the same athletics, it was not so difficult.

- At the same time, even the family of Pierre de Coubertin is in support of the UIPM's decision.

At least a letter from them is published on the organization's website ...

- It's all a lie.

I communicate with my family.

They don't think so.

- And why are they silent then?

- They are very diplomatic and try to answer with words from de Coubertin's letters.

He talks about the importance of staying in the program of the Olympic Games, keeping up with the spirit of the times, but not about removing show jumping.

- What is the role of Russia in this whole story?

- Competitions of the highest level are held in our country, all foreigners love to come to us.

Always a great picture, in show jumping - an even livestock.

When the European Championship was held in Nizhny Novgorod, horses were brought from several regions, including from Moscow.

Another bright tournament is the President's Cup.

At the same time, Russia, despite its authority, is not listened to.

Although there were a lot of proposals.

- But the president of the FSPR Vyacheslav Aminov is also the vice-president of the international federation, how can you not listen to him?

- This needs to be clarified with him, to communicate.

I express only my opinion.