Tokyo 2020: German coach suspended for punching horse at Olympics

Kim Raisner has been disqualified for striking a horse "with her fist." The incident occurred shortly after Saint Boy refused to take the course during Annika Schleu's bid for modern pentathlon gold.

Germany's modern pentathlon coach Kim Raisner was suspended on Saturday after punching a horse at the Tokyo Olympics.

The sports governing body, the UIPM, said Raisner was disqualified for "appearing to strike the horse Saint Boy... with her fist."

In Friday's women's competition in Tokyo, television footage picked up Raisner encouraging Annika Schleu to "properly" whip the horse as Saint Boy repeatedly refused to take the course.

She responded to her coach's instructions and duly whipped the horse, but it did not have the desired effect. The episode left Schleu distraught as her medal hopes drifted away before her teary eyes.

UIPM gives a 'black card' to Raisner

The UIPM said Raisner had been given a "black card... disqualifying her from the remainder of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games," by its executive board following a review of the video clip.

"Her actions were deemed to be in violation of the UIPM Competition Rules, which are applied to all recognized Modern Pentathlon competitions including the Olympic Games," a UIPM statement said.

On Saturday, Raisner was not present at the Tokyo Stadium for the men's event, with the German Olympic chief Alfons Hörmann saying it was the "best solution" to avoid "further question marks" about the coach.

Hörmann said this decision was a mutual one following discussions between Schleu, Raisner and Susanne Wiedemann, sport director of the German modern pentathlon federation.

How has the Schleu responded?

Schleu, who had been favored to win gold heading in to the competition, said she "didn't expect so much negative hate."

Following the incident, the 31-year-old athlete