The Swiss dressage (training) team has pulled out of the 2008 Olympics citing concerns over the health of its horses. Fears of Beijing’s pollution? No. The horse related events were moved to Hong Kong because Beijing officials couldn’t guarantee the same level of veterinary safety as the horse-racing obsessed island.
Switzerland was heading for Hong Kong as one of Europe’s leading dressage teams. Although the Swiss are summer Olympic minnows, their equestrian tradition has won them 15 medals for dressage. Silvia Ikle, ranked fourth in the world, triggered the team withdrawal by deciding not to risk her horse, Salieri.
While the official reason given by the Swiss team was humidity, and general unpredictable weather, most believe the real reason is actually pollution. Hong Kong, like Beijing, has a serious smog problem due to industrial emissions from the the Pearl River delta.
Anyone buying the following excuse?
“The level of both humidity and heat is much higher in Hong Kong than LA or Atlanta,” said Alain Guillet, secretary-general of the Swiss equestrian federation. “Atlanta was also subject to storms, but not of the same kind and intensity as typhoon weather in Hong Kong.” A Hong Kong trial event last August was disrupted by a typhoon alert.
Not going to the Olympics because they’re worried about Typhoons? Hmm.
Well, anyway, may Silvia and Salieri live happily ever after.
4 responses so far ↓
1 PlanStan // Jan 13, 2008 at 12:59 pm
That tongue doesn’t even look like it’s part of the horse!
2 Philip C // Jan 14, 2008 at 12:57 am
Equestrian should be removed from Olympic and baseball should be included, however, since the IOC are dominated by !@#$% European and we know how they suck at baseball therefore they voted to exclude baseball after 2008.
How many time any countries outside of Europe and North America won a medal at equestrian events? You can count with one hand. Modern Olympic has become a joke, i.e., more political and juiced muscle than the real thing.
3 Shinsano // Jan 14, 2008 at 5:52 am
I was thinking something like that as I wrote the post…but it was based on assumptions rather than any knowledge of equestrian. I think it’s a great point and I’ve always thought equestrian to be just about the stupidest, most elitist, useless “sport.”
As far as a connection to baseball, in fact the IBAF, which is the organization in charge (as far as I know) in coordinating international baseball, is based in Switzerland. Spend a little time watching what they do and how they do it and you can get some inisight into how the sport was taken off the 2012 London games.
I also agree that the Modern Olympics are a joke. I’ll pay some attention this year because it’s in Beijing, but beyond that I’d rather watch paint dry.
4 H.Y.O. // Jan 14, 2008 at 7:17 pm
Taking baseball out of competition was the last straw for me with the IOC and the olympics in general. It was so clearly a political move inspired by the current events of the time, and was so hypocritical…the way they tried to pin the reasoning on doping/steroids. The whole thing is shameful. What a meaningless pony show the Olympics is (no pun indended).
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