Alica Schmidt misses German Championship 800m final after 2:05.75 heat

Wattenscheid – Alica Schmidt (27), who competed in the 4x400-meter relays at the 2024 Olympics in the Stade de France, has struggled in her transition from the 400 meters to the 800 meters. At the German Championships in Wattenscheid, she was eliminated in the preliminary heat on Saturday and missed the final.

Schmidt said: "The last 100, 200 meters are still extremely sluggish for me. I can't really pinpoint exactly why. I still have a huge need for improvement there. I can see that in my training group, how strong the European elite is. I'm anything but satisfied with my season's best time either."

In Wattenscheid, Schmidt finished third in the last of three preliminary heats. The two fastest runners qualify directly, plus two additional runners from all three heats based on time. With a time of 2:05.75 minutes, she placed only tenth. Even the withdrawal of Paula Terhorst could not save her from missing the final.

Return to the 400-Meter Distance?

Schmidt also has the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles (USA) in mind with her 800-meter project, stating: "That's the big goal." It is also possible that she might switch back to the 400 meters for that event. Olympic starting spots in the relay are available there, which tends to make participation easier.

Schmidt added: "I also think the 800 is so awesome, and I can't imagine that this is all I've brought to the track. Still, you have to think: How do we move forward? How do I continue in training? Because something doesn't seem to be quite right."

It is clear that Schmidt will remain on the longer distance for this season. She will not compete at the European Championships in Birmingham in August. If she wants to reach the Olympics over 800 meters, she would need a massive performance improvement. However, a switch back to the 400 meters should be feasible relatively quickly.