How it started...
"Before I started with athletics at the age of nine, I played tennis and turned the streets outside my parents house into my own little racetrack. The amount of bruises on my legs were proof of my very active childhood. At that time my biggest motivation was to be faster than the boys at school ;-)"
Altötting GER, 2004
"At the age of 16 I was honored to represent my country for the first time at the World Youth Championships. This opportunity was followed by a series of junior championships at the European and World stage. Despite these successes, my progress was unfortunately hindered by a series of injuries during my teenage years."
Lille FRA, 2011
...how it's going
Bulle CH, 2021
"It took a global pandemic to provide me with the rest my body needed, the time to properly prepare, and the opportunity to leave no stone unturned in my quest to come back stronger than ever.
After a disappointing Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, I was finally able to achieve my childhood dream of competing in the Tokyo 2020ne Games."
Braunschweig GER, 2021
Tokyo JPN, 2021
Beijing CHN, 2022
"And because one Olympic adventure in one year is not enough,
I found myself in Beijing just a few months later competing as brakewoman and winning an Olympic silver medal with my pilot, Mariama Jamanka."
"The summer of 2022 proved to be the most incredible season of my career thus far, culminating in a full set of international medals including a World Championships bronze and European Championships gold with the 4x100m relay."
Eugene USA, 2022
Munich GER, 2022
"But one major item was still missing from my bucket list: an Olympic medal at the Summer Games.
Some of us had been competing together on the track for up to ten years. For the first time, we had dared to speak publicly about our dream of winning a medal.
From being a reserve runner in the heats to becoming the lead-off runner in the Paris Olympic final — it was a true emotional roller coaster and a powerful reminder that it's never over until it's over.
We made history: Olympic bronze, the first sprint medal for Germany since reunification."
Paris FRA, 2025
Altötting GER, 2026
"The perfect timing. When is the right moment to end a professional athletic career?
It’s not a decision you make overnight. It is something every athlete ultimately has to determine for themselves —
a process that unfolds over many months of reflection.
I have achieved more than I ever dared to dream of as a child and leave the sport as one of only seven people in the world to have won both a Summer and a Winter Olympic medal.
I am grateful, happy, healthy, and excited for all the opportunities and experiences that lie ahead.
Every chapter has its time. To new beginnings."