On the track, Alica Schmidt did not have a 2024 Olympics performance to remember.
The German runner, once dubbed the “World’s Sexiest Athlete,” was part of Germany’s 4×400 relay team. The group failed to qualify for the final, and Schmidt, 25, left Paris without a medal.
That doesn’t mean the trip was a waste. Schmidt took to Instagram on Wednesday, August 14, to share her thoughts on the “emotional roller-coaster” she felt during the games. She posted a three-image carousel showing her competing in the relay, baton in hand with her orange Puma sneakers prominently featured.
“The Olympics are not just about winning medals,” her caption began. “It‘s about being alongside inspiring athletes while competing at the highest level. Showing ambition, celebrating diversity and people no matter who they are and where they are from.”
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Though Schmidt is still in search of her first Olympic medal, she is a two-time medalist at the European Athletics Championships. She earned the silver medal in the U20 division in 2017 and bronze in the U23 in 2019. Both medals were for the 4×400 relay.
“The past weeks were an emotional roller-coaster and I was able to learn a lot,” her post continued. “As an athlete I am still not where I want to be and maybe I will never be. But the one thing that is for sure: I will never stop trying and figuring out ways to improve. I love taking you guys with me on this journey and hope to inspire young athletes and show how amazing this sport can be!”
The sport took her to the Olympics for the first time in 2020 when she was an alternate for the German mixed relay team. She did not run.
Schmidt returned this year and made the most out of her Paris experience. She shed more light on that experience on Tuesday when she shared a video via Instagram that took viewers on a tour of the Olympic Village. Stops on the tour included a personalized stamp and letter writing station, baguettes and croissants made to resemble the Olympic rings, a stop for meditation and free coffee poured with a personalized print.
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Schmidt closed her post with a message encouraging other athletes to keep striving to make their Olympic dreams a reality.
“Everyone who knows sport is aware that it takes a village getting there and all athletes can be so proud of themselves for making the team!” she wrote. “And to those athletes who didn‘t make it to Paris this year, never stop believing in yourself. It‘s a bumpy road and one day all your hard work will eventually pay off!”
She added four hashtags, including #roadtoLA2028, indicating she will begin working toward another Olympic appearance. She will be 29 when the 2028 Summer Games take place in Los Angeles.
