The 2024 Olympics didn’t generate as much excitement as Alika Schmidt had hoped.
The German track and field star, often dubbed the “sexiest athlete in the world,” finished seventh in the second round of qualifying on Friday, falling short in the women’s 4×400 meters relay.
Only the top four teams from the first and second qualifying rounds will progress to Saturday’s final, bringing the blonde beauty’s campaign in Paris to an end.
Schmidt and three teammates recorded a time of 3:26.95, while the qualifying winners, Jamaica, finished in 3:24.92.
The Dutch four placed second, while Ireland and Canada placed third and fourth respectively and advanced to the finals.
The American team won the first heat, recording the fastest time of 3 minutes 21.44 seconds, despite the absence of Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.
Great Britain, France and Belgium also qualified.
Schmidt, who boasts more than 7 million followers across her Instagram and TikTok accounts, competed in the mixed 4x400m relay last week, but the German team finished seventh and were subsequently eliminated.
The 25-year-old noticed some drama brewing within her team, with several of her fellow athletes voicing their unhappiness over the decision to place her in the relay.
“Yes, on paper I am the second fastest 400m runner and no, I was not nominated for the mixed relay,” teammate Luna Brumman wrote in a now-deleted Instagram post.
2024 Paris Olympics
Bruhmahn’s boyfriend, the German sprinter Jean-Paul Bredau, also competed in the mixed relay with Schmidt and seemed disappointed with his fellow field members.
“Some decisions were made that not everyone agreed with. DLV [German Athletics Association] “He said it very clearly: the fastest four should run. A different decision has been made,” he wrote on Instagram, which he has since deleted.
Bredau apologised for his comments and was allowed to take part in the relay, but Bulmahn was dropped from the women’s 4x400m team.
“Jean-Paul Bredout has apologised and will compete in the 400m individual race. Luna Bruman will not take part in the relay in Paris. The relay is a team sport. The athletes and the coach make up the team. Success depends on good teamwork and mutual trust between everyone,” the DLV said in a statement on Tuesday.
Schmidt competed in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, which were postponed due to the pandemic, and traveled with the team.
However, she was not selected to compete in the race and later announced she would be “taking a break” from the track, opening up about her struggles with COVID-19 and injuries during the 2021 season.
Although the Paris Olympics did not go as planned, she has not ruled out competing in the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
