Smilla Kolbe, the German 800m runner, has spoken out against the racist abuse directed at some of her teammates on social media following her participation in the European Athletics Championships semi-finals. After finishing sixth behind Keely Hodgkinson, the 24-year-old extended her trackside interview with German TV to deliver a pointed message.
“I don’t want to imagine what it would be like if I wasn’t as white as I am,” Kolbe said, highlighting the disparity in treatment she receives compared to her non-white teammates.
Kolbe’s Post-Race Appeal for Respect
At the end of the interview, Kolbe added: “Can I just say one more thing? I feel that, somehow, 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 comment section of certain athletes, and I’d like us to represent Germany here and, somehow, get support from everyone watching and I’d expect a bit more respect.”
She continued: “I’m really pleased that so many people are supporting me, but 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 Athletics Federation’s Anti-Hate Measures
The German Athletics Federation has assigned a dedicated staff member in Birmingham to combat online hate speech. Additionally, the federation is collaborating with the Frankfurt Public Prosecutor’s Office to identify, delete, and prosecute instances of hate speech.
This initiative follows the 2024 Olympics, where the German Olympics Sports Confederation announced it would pursue legal action against hate speech to protect athletes. During those Games, AI software was used to automatically delete nearly 4,000 messages that were deemed threatening, abusive, racist, or sexist.
Broader Efforts to Tackle Online Abuse
Keely Hodgkinson, the race winner, has also faced online abuse, having previously deleted her X (formerly Twitter) account around major championships, describing the platform as “awful”. World Athletics has made tackling online abuse a priority, with president Sebastian Coe concluding a study at the end of 2024 that examined 1.4 million messages sent to athletes.
Coe stated: “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.” The study aimed to provide athletes with tools to “proactively protect themselves against online abuse”, according to Coe.
