‘World’s Sexiest Athlete’ turned down ‘six-figure’ sponsorship | Maqvi News

Article content

She’s not in it for the money.

Article content

German track star Alica Schmidt says that she recently turned down a massive sponsorship deal because she wasn’t behind what the company was selling.

Article content

“Two months ago, I received an offer from a well-known brand. But I wasn’t 100% behind it,” Schmidt told the OMR podcast, according to German newspaper Bild.

“I don’t feel comfortable with that. That would have been in the mid-to-high six figures, for a campaign.”

Schmidt, who has been dubbed the “world’s sexiest athlete,” says that the hefty offer came from a “well-known” company.

Considering the pithy amount that Schmidt makes through the sponsorship deals for athletes on the German national team, passing over that kind of money seems surprising.

In October, Schmidt revealed that athletes on the national team get paid roughly $739 per month from sponsorship deals that are streamlined through Sporthilfe, the sports aid foundation that provides financial support to the country’s top athletes.

Of course, Schmidt is able to supplement that meagre salary thanks to her colossal reach on social media.

With millions of followers across platforms, she has branched out as an influencer and has secured several partnerships with global brands.

Schmidt, 25, has a clothing line with Hugo Boss and walked the runway for the designer during Milan Fashion Week in 2023.

Article content

She currently competes for SC Charlottenburg in track events and has her eyes set on her biggest platform yet – the Paris Olympics.

Schmidt went to the 2020 Olympics Games in Tokyo with the German national team but did not compete. Now she is looking to qualify for this summer’s event.

That might be easier said than done, though. If Schmidt hopes to qualify, she will need to improve on her personal best of 52.8 seconds in the 400-metre dash by a full second.

“You have to go beyond your limits every day. It also often happens that I throw up after training because that’s how you suffer,” she told the podcast.

“It’s also the best feeling when you’ve done it and pushed yourself and noticed that progress somewhere.”

Schmidt’s rise to fame truly kicked off in the fall of 2020, when she easily defeated German football star Mats Hummels in a 400-metre race.

When asked if she would consider taking on another soccer star, like French striker Kylian Mbappe, she seemed open to it — with one condition.

“I can’t say, it depends on the distance,” she said. “I have no chance at 100 metres because I’m not the fastest. But definitely at 400 metres. I’m almost certain that I can beat any footballer.”

Check out our sports section for the latest news and analysis.

Share this article in your social network