Trouble at the Olympics

Trouble in the German team: Are two athletes out?

The nomination of Alica Schmidt is causing discussion.(Bild: AFP/Andrej ISAKOVIC)

The air is thick in the German Olympic team: After the bitter preliminary round elimination of the 4x400 meter mixed relay team, two athletes could now be kicked out!

But first things first! Jean Paul Bredau, Manuel Sanders, Eileen Demes and Alica Schmidt failed to impress at the Olympics. They were eliminated in the preliminary round. "Not everything went so well in the run-up. That's why we didn't have the strength. Some decisions were made that weren't approved by everyone," said Bredau. With this statement, he was probably referring to the line-up of the relay team. Because his girlfriend Luna Bulmahn had not been given a place.

Before her colleagues' Olympic appearance, Bulmahn wrote on Instagram: "Yes, I'm the second-fastest 400-meter athlete on paper. No, I wasn't nominated for the mixed relay." This caused quite a stir. Was she criticizing Schmidt's nomination?

 "There were disagreements beforehand. I have to say, we are a team. We should stick together. We should trust what the coaches decide and be mentally ready accordingly. Everyone prepares here for three years. And anyone who stands here and doesn't fully support the relay - I find that difficult," Schmidt defends himself.

No more relay team assignments?
This spat could now have consequences. As the German newspaper "Bild" reports, the German team is currently discussing whether or not Bredau and Bulmahn will be used again in the remaining relay competitions. Unrest among our neighbors ...