German 800m runner Smilla Kolbe used her moment in front of the cameras at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham this evening to deliver a striking denunciation of racist abuse directed at her teammates online.
The 24-year-old had just crossed the line in sixth place in her semi-final, won by Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson, when she chose to prolong her trackside television interview with a pointed message.
“I don’t want to imagine what it would be like if I wasn’t as white as I am,” Kolbe told German broadcasters, drawing attention to the vile comments she had witnessed beneath social media posts featuring certain members of the national squad.
Rather than discussing her own race, Kolbe deliberately seized the platform to demand that viewers treat all German athletes with dignity.
German 800m runner Smilla Kolbe admitted: “I don’t want to imagine what it would be like if I wasn’t as white as I am”
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“Can I just say one more thing?” she asked at the conclusion of her interview, before launching into an impassioned plea.
“I read so many comments and I’m really grateful for all the support we’re getting, but even so, I see some really harsh comments in the comments section of certain athletes.”
She continued: “I’d like us to represent Germany here and, somehow, get support from everyone watching and I’d expect a bit more respect.”
Kolbe acknowledged the backing she personally receives but stressed: “I don’t want to imagine what it would be like if I wasn’t as white as I am, and it was important for me to say that.
“I expect all viewers to show the necessary respect and to celebrate the fantastic performances of our athletes.”
German 800m runner Smilla Kolbe crossed the line in sixth place in her semi-final, won by Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson
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When pressed on which teammates had been targeted, the middle-distance runner declined to name individuals.
“You can see it under many posts,” she said. “I just wanted to get it off my chest because it’s extremely important to me.”
Kolbe’s championship came to a heartbreakingly narrow end, with the German falling just two hundredths of a second short of qualifying for Friday evening’s final.
That showpiece race will feature Hodgkinson, who is chasing a remarkable third consecutive outdoor European title at 800m.
The Briton will face a stern challenge from Switzerland’s Audrey Werro, who has already beaten her earlier this season.
Hodgkinson is no stranger to the darker side of online platforms herself. The Olympic medallist has previously removed her account on X — the platform formerly known as Twitter — in the build-up to major championships, having described the app as “awful.”
Her decision to step away from social media around competitions underscores the scale of the problem confronting elite athletes.
Keely Hodgkinson is chasing a remarkable third consecutive outdoor European title at 800m
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The German Athletics Federation has stationed a dedicated staff member at the Birmingham championships specifically tasked with fighting online hate speech. The federation is also collaborating with the Frankfurt Public Prosecutor’s Office to track down, remove and prosecute offending material.
Such measures are not without precedent. During the 2024 Olympics, the German Olympic Sports Confederation deployed artificial intelligence software that automatically purged nearly 4,000 messages deemed threatening, abusive, racist or sexist.
World Athletics has likewise prioritised the issue. Lord Coe, the governing body’s president, oversaw an analysis of more than 1.4 million messages sent to athletes.
“Athlete welfare is at the very top of our priority list, and we will continue to put measures in place to ensure that athletes can confidently and safely engage with social media platforms,” he said.