How the Mixed Season Dispute Has Escalated
On the track, the German 4x400m mixed relay team is making few headlines at the Olympic Games, but off the track, it's a different story. Criticism over the selection has suddenly become a bigger story, and in the end, almost all the main players are left looking bad.
If things stay as they are, Jean Paul Bredau will compete again at the Olympic Games on Friday. This time, it will be for the German men's 4x400m relay team, but once again on the lilac Tartan track at the Parisian Stade de France. A fun fact on the side, this track is not rust-red for the second time in the modern Olympic history, after Rio 2016. But the German Athletics Federation (DLV) is unlikely to be concerned with such trivial matters at the moment.
The DLV is much more worried about a much bigger issue that has now escalated to the point of involving the prosecution. The controversy surrounding the 4x400m mixed relay has grown so much that it's no longer just about the sporting result. In short, the German team around Bredau, Alica Schmidt, Manuel Sanders, and Eileen Demes missed the final with a seventh place in the heat, falling short by several seconds.
However, how it all went wrong is a bit more complicated. Shortly before the competition, a non-selected athlete questioned whether the best four people were running for the relay in Paris. Luna Bulmahn opened the debate in an Instagram story, saying, "Yes, I am the second-fastest 400m athlete on paper. No, I was not nominated for the mixed relay." It's unusual for someone to express themselves so clearly.
"It wasn't about form"
Her boyfriend, starter Bredau, then supported her after the race. He ran his 400m surprisingly slowly, in only 46.58 seconds, almost a second slower than his season's best. Was he intentionally slower, or was he so upset by the nomination drama that he couldn't reach his best performance? After the race, he gave an explanation in the ARD that fits both versions. "It wasn't about form today," he said, "but rather what happened before the relay."
Decisions were made that not everyone agreed with. "The DLV clearly said the fastest four should run. It was decided differently," explained Bredau. Neither he nor Bulmahn named any names. However, the numbers suggest who might be involved: Alica Schmidt. She was almost half a second slower than Bulmahn on 400m before the nomination, with a time of 52.18 seconds.
Now, Schmidt is not just any sprinter: she works as a model and influencer, with 5.3 million followers on Instagram alone. For comparison, that's more than flag bearer and NBA star Dennis Schröder (4.3 million) or tennis star Alexander Zverev (2.1 million). But she is not there because of her fame, but for sporting reasons. Schmidt helped two 400m DLV relay teams (women and mixed) qualify for Paris on the Bahamas. She is considered an extremely consistent and good relay runner.
Uncertainty on all sides
However, the question remains: how could this conflict escalate so publicly? To the point where the couple Bredau and Bulmahn are being overwhelmed with hate messages? The DLV has distanced itself "decidedly from any form of hate speech related to the composition of the mixed relay against the affected athletes." They have emphasized that they will pursue any defamation, harassment, or personal attacks through their cooperation with the General Prosecutor's Office in Frankfurt.
The situation is complex. In a relay, the fastest time isn't the only factor for nomination. Soft factors, like team cohesion, also play a role. DLV sports director Jörg Bügner described it as a team sport. "The athletes and coaches form this team. Success depends on good teamwork and mutual trust," he said. According to the German federation, the team selection was unanimously decided by the coaches, including the joint coach of Schmidt, Bulmahn, and Bredau, who is also the women's 400m national coach. The decision was explained to the athletes.
However, whether communication was truly clear is questionable. The sprinters met a week before their Paris competitions at the so-called "Olympia Farewell" in Berlin. Many competed, hoping to secure a fixed relay spot with a great performance. However, it wasn't clear what role this competition played in the final relay selection. Bulmahn ran her season best there, being the second-fastest woman in 400m. Schmidt didn't compete, suggesting she was already set - she and Bredau were only spectators.
In the end, there's only a communication mess where no one comes out looking good. Bulmahn was removed from the Olympic team for her complaints. The mixed relay team, featuring Schmidt and others, lost a medal chance due to a botched start. Bredau apologized to his team and coaches, so he's allowed to compete in a relay again on Friday, this time for men.
The controversy surrounding the German 4x400m mixed relay team has extended beyond athletic performances. Luna Bulmahn's Instagram post about not being selected, despite being the second-fastest 400m athlete, sparked a public debate.
The German Athletics Federation (DLV) is not only dealing with the Athletics controversy but has also faced criticism for their handling of the matter.
