- DLV's squadron is chasing us and it's not stopping.
On Friday, it's all on the line. That's when the preliminaries for the 4x400-meter relay will take place. But for now, the runners from the German Athletics Federation (DLV) are still focused on last Friday evening.
That's when the mixed relay team missed the final by a clear margin, finishing seventh in their heat. Starting runner Jean Paul Bredau did not deliver his usual performance: after traveling to Paris with a season-best time of 45.03 seconds, he managed only 46.58 seconds in the relay. After the disappointing run, he said, "It wasn't about the form today. Rather, it was about what happened before the relay. Some decisions were made that not everyone agreed with." And the 25-year-old added, "The DLV has clearly stated that the top four should run. But it was decided differently."
Runner Luna Bulmahn, who is linked to Bredau, wrote on Instagram that she was the second-fastest German 400-meter athlete on paper. Not being considered for the mixed relay was not her decision, she said. Instead, Alica Schmidt, Manuel Sanders, and Eileen Demes ran.
Dispute in the DLV relay
In fact, Bulmahn had set a personal best of 51.72 seconds just before the Games, while Schmidt's season best is 52.18 seconds. Schmidt is a regular member of the relay team and has shown more consistent performances than Bulmahn recently, also contributing to the Olympic qualification for Paris.
Bulmahn will not be competing in Paris after the controversy. Bredau was allowed to run in the individual 400 meters but failed to reach the semifinals. His time of 45.40 seconds was not enough for victory or one of the two fastest times. Afterwards, he said he was available for the 4x400-meter relay.
Debate around Alica Schmidt reaches fever pitch
After internal discussions, Bredau apologized to the team. When asked if he regretted his statements, he confirmed that he did. He declined to elaborate further, saying, "I've put my phone away so I can fully focus on the sport."
The topic is causing such a stir on social media that the DLV has condemned the online harassment of its athletes following the relay controversy. The federation said it "strongly condemns any form of hate speech related to the composition of the mixed relay team against the affected athletes." The DLV also stated that it would pursue any defamation, harassment, or personal attacks through its cooperation with the General State Prosecutor's Office in Frankfurt.
Until Friday, the DLV team has time to clear their heads and focus on what's important: running.
The German Athletics Federation (DLV) issued a statement condemning the online harassment towards their athletes due to the relay controversy. This controversy arose from the mixed relay team's selection, where some athletes felt they were unfairly left out.
Despite the Controversy, Luna Bulmahn, who had set a personal best before the Games, will not be competing in Paris for the 4x400-meter relay due to the dispute within the DLV.
