This dashing runner is the secret star of the Olympics

In terms of sport, things weren't exactly great for Alica Schmidt in Tokyo. The 400 m runner from Upper Bavaria was neither used in the mixed relay nor in the normal relay, but had to be content with the role of substitute. And yet, after the Games are over, she will be more famous than many Olympic champions. The reason: The 22-year-old is an absolute star on social media. Judging by the number of followers, you can even say that she is the most popular German athlete in Tokyo.

Alica Schmidt is followed by no less than 2,4 million users on social media. For comparison: Alexander Zverev, Olympic champion and one of the best tennis players in the world, has 1,3 million fans. Schmidt's story is special because she hasn't achieved much in her career, but is still a minor celebrity in the athletics scene. The reason for this is their extremely dashing appearance.

Alica Schmidt in action.

It all started in 2017. “I took part in a junior European championship and won the silver medal in the 4x400 meter relay. I posted pictures of it – and some magazines suddenly wrote about me,” she said in an interview with Welt . “Within a month I had 100.000 followers, it all happened incredibly quickly. That was almost frightening for me.” In this case, the Australian magazine was an accelerant Busted coverage , which promptly declared Schmidt the “hottest track athlete in the world.” Afterwards, the number of followers exploded. 200.000 new followers through the Olympics Since then, Schmidt has no longer just been a track and field athlete, but also an influencer and model. “It's a hobby that I was able to turn into a career,” explains the 22-year-old, but she also adds: “My focus is on sport, it will always be number one for me.” That's why she was disappointed , not being allowed to start in any races in Tokyo. Nevertheless, the Olympics paid off for her - especially from a social media perspective.

In the last week she gained 200.000 followers, and in the last month there have been a total of almost half a million. This is also due to the worldwide reporting during the games. This is what media from the USA and Australia wrote about the dashing German.

Schmidt was also the training partner of Dortmund star Mats Hummels.

Higher numbers of followers also mean more money, says Cologne-based social media expert Felix Beihartz. “Companies often pay more the higher the number of followers they have because they hope for greater reach. “She will now be able to charge a few thousand euros more for her advertising posts than before she took part in the Olympics,” said Beinhartz BILD -Newspaper.

Even if Schmidt turns the heads of her male fans in particular, no one should have high hopes. She has been in a relationship with her childhood sweetheart Fredi Richter since she was a teenager. And sport is the top priority anyway.

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This dashing runner is the secret star of the Olympics

She didn't win a medal in Tokyo, and in the end she wasn't even used - and yet the German athlete Alica Schmidt became the secret star at the Olympic Games.

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