German track star, dubbed 'the world's sexiest athlete', reveals she's turned down six-figure contra

German track and field star Alicia Schmidt has revealed how she rejected a huge sponsorship deal running up to 'high six figures' because she 'didn't feel comfortable' - despite earning a modest income.

The 25-year-old competes for her country in 400m events and was part of the German relay squad that travelled to the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020 - though she did not compete. 

Schmidt - who has been dubbed the 'world's sexiest athlete' - has a huge social media following with 4.9m followers on Instagram amd 2m on TikTok, where she regularly posts pictures and clips of her preparing for races and track events. 

She has also shown off the glamorous side to her life, wihch has seen her attend fashion shows, PR events and glitzy holidays.

However, Schmidt has revealed she is selective about the brand partnerships she signs up to. 

German track and field star Alicia Schmidt has revealed she turned down a huge endorsement because she 'didn't feel comfortable'

The 25-year-old said she has to be '100 per cent' behind a brand before signing with them - despite her modest income

Schmidt has been labelled 'the world's sexiest athlete' and has 4.9m followers on Instagram, plus another 2m on TikTok

She is a representative of Hugo Boss but claimed last year her main salary comes from German sports foundation Sporthilfe, which pays her just £600 (€700) a month - and only because she competes for her national team, according to Bild. 

But despite that modest base salary, Schmidt has spoken out about turning down a lucrative endorsement from a 'well known' company, saying she has to be '100 per cent behind' a brand before signing up to it. 

She told Bild: 'Two months ago I received an offer from a well-known brand. But I wasn't 100 per cent behind it. I don't feel comfortable with that. That would have been in the mid to high six figures for a campaign.'

Schmidt has previously spoken about the struggles of an athlete to generate regular income, saying the money that she is paid for competing in competitions is not enough for her to live on.

Schmidt competes during 400m events with the German athletics team and was part of the group that travelled to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics

She has spoken of the lack of regular income for athletes and that money from competitions is not enough to survive

'In principle, I have to say that it is not easy for most German track and field athletes to make a living from sport,' she told the German publication.

'Of course there is money to be made through competitions. In most competitions you don't make any money. Personally, I couldn't live on these amounts alone, because for many competitions you still have travel and hotel costs, which aren't always covered.

'Most of us study part-time in order to build up a second source of income, or even have mini-jobs that we do on the side.'

Schmidt does generate funds from her huge following on Instagram but has also pursued interests outside athletics too. 

She has reportedly studied media and communications management on a virtual course in order to give herself more options outside of sport. 

Her accolades as a runner include a silver medal in the U20 European Athletics Championship in the 4x400m relay - before picking up gold in the same competition and same event three years later. 

Schmidt makes money from social media and has also decided to take up a media degree 

She went viral while working as a fitness coach at Borussia Dortmund after beating defender Mats Hummels in a 400m race

Alongside athletics, Schmidt has also used her knowledge of nutrition and fitness in other arenas. She was appointed as a fitness coach at German Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund for the 2020-21 season.

During that time, she starred in a viral clip with 6m views that saw her race against Dortmund defender Mats Hummels across 400m - winning with ease. 

During the same interview, she was asked about the chances of her beating PSG's renowned speed merchant Kylian Mbappe in a race.

She replied: 'It depends on the distance. I have no chance at 100 meters because I'm not the fastest. But definitely at 400 meters. I'm almost certain that I can beat any footballer.' 

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