The woman dubbed the ‘World’s sexiest athlete’ wasn’t feeling too hot during a recent track meet, she revealed on social media.
German track star Alica Schmidt opened up about her “tough” season on the track, saying that while it didn’t go as planned, it was “definitely the one” that she needed.
Schmidt also shared that she caught COVID-19 ahead of this past weekend’s German national track and field championships, which hampered her performance.
“This season really put me to the test this year. Tough races, lots of lessons, and a whole lot of growth. It wasn’t the season I was hoping for, but it was definitely the one I needed,” Schmidt wrote in an Instagram post on Sunday along with two photos of herself from the meet.
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“Unfortunately, I caught Covid a few days before Nationals, so I wasn’t able to show up at my best, definitely frustrating.”
Despite the illness, Schmidt competed in the 800-metre event on Saturday, but failed to qualify for the final.
She also wrote in her post that this season has been about learning to master the 800-metre event after having previously focused on 400-metre races.
“This year is about committing, learning, challenging and accepting,” she wrote. “Everything I need to learn on how to tackle the 800m.”
The blond bombshell had posted a much better showing at the German Indoor Championships in February, winning her qualifying heat before coming in fourth in the final.
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She also was part of the first-place team from SCC Berlin in a second final heat of the women’s 4×200-metre relay short track at the event.
As for looking ahead, Schmidt is now aiming “to get my body 100% healthy again and squeeze in a few more races before shifting focus to 2026,” while adding that she is “still completely in love with the process.”
Schmidt has risen to stardom online in recent years, amassing more than 5.5 million followers on Instagram alone.
Schmidt represented Germany in the women’s 4x400m relay and the mixed 4x400m relay at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris after going to the Tokyo Games in 2021, but not getting the chance to compete.
Schmidt did not medal in either of her events and also was controversially chosen over Luna Bulmahn in the women’s relay, despite her teammate being expected to start.
The 26-year-old part-time model said at the time that she took away many lessons from the experience while calling it “an emotional roller-coaster.”
“The Olympics are not just about winning medals. 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,” Schmidt wrote in post on Instagram last year.
“The past weeks were an emotional roller-coaster and I was able to learn a lot. 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!”