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Sprinter Luna Bulmahn was told to stay home after comments she and her boyfriend Jean Paul Bredau made about Germany’s mixed 4×400 relay team, which included Alica Schmidt.
Alica Schmidt (pictured on the left above with Bulmahn’s arm on her shoulder), often referred to as the “world’s sexiest athlete” by media outlets, was chosen to compete in the mixed 4×400 relay over Bulmahn last Friday, upsetting her and Bredau, who was part of the team.
“Yes, I’m the second fastest 400-meter athlete on paper. No, I was not nominated for the mixed relay,” Luna Bulmahn, 24, wrote on Instagram.
Bild reported Schmidt’s time this year for the 400 was 52.18, while Bulmahn’s time was 51.72, or close to half a second faster.
“Today’s the day,” Schmidt wrote on Instagram prior to the race. “I’m running the Mixed Relay tonight at 19.22. Little me would be so proud.”
The relay team, sans Bulmahn, ended up being eliminated in the preliminary round, finishing second to last in their heat.
“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,” Bredau said after the race, leading many to believe he was referring to his girlfriend being left off the team.
Bild reported that the German Athletics Association stated in a press release, “The decision for the final cast of the squad, with Alica Schmidt, Jean Paul Bredau, Manuel Sanders and Eileen Demes, was made unanimously by the DLV coach team with the leading national coach Julian Reus, Volker Beck, Jörg Möckel and Sven Buggel, the home coach of Alica Schmidt, Luna Bulmahn and Jean Paul Bredau.”
As a result of their comments, Luna Bulmahn, who was supposed to travel to Paris on Monday, was told to stay home and will not get to compete in the woman’s 4×400 which begins on Friday, while Bredau has apologized to his team and has been placed on probation.
“There were disagreements beforehand,” Schmidt said about the drama. “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.”