German 400 meter runner Alica Schmidt joins Jan Petrac’s coaching. Slovenian Petrac is known as Eveliina Määttänen’s coach and husband.
10.11. 17:45•Updated 10.11. 22:20
Moved to Finland five years ago Jan Petrac29, was totally surprised when a WhatsApp message from Germany popped up on his phone recently.
400 meter runner Alice Schmidt26, inquired about the possibility of getting into Petrac’s coaching. The German’s hopes are to make a smooth transition from 400 meters to a distance that is twice as long, and for this he hoped for the help of the Slovenian.
– I don’t know where he came up with me, but I’m really taken by this, Petrac mumbles.
The cooperation starts quickly, because Schmidt will travel with Petrac and Määttänen to the training camp in Dullstroom, South Africa, next week. Schmidt also continues to work with his German coach By Sven Buggel with. Buggel supervises the training in Germany, Petrac is responsible for it in the camps. Exercise programs are done together.
Almost six million Instagram followers
Schmidt is particularly well known on social media, where he has 5.7 million followers on Instagram alone. That’s a lot. The Indian javelin thrower has more followers than any modern athlete With Neeraj Chopra9.7 million, while, for example, the world record holder in the 400-meter hurdles Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has 1.5 million followers. The German’s following exploded when the Australian publication Busted Coverage named him the world’s sexiest athlete seven years ago.
Petrac sees the new popularity of his coach as an opportunity.
– I’m just excited about it, but of course the attention also comes with a big responsibility. He is a big name and the media follows him everywhere, so I have to do a good job with him, Petrac reflects.
“Less than two minutes very soon”
Schmidt has won junior competition medals in the German 4 x 400 meter relay team, but he has no significant competition achievements at the adult level. His record for 400 meters, which he ran last year, is 52.07.
– He is not fast enough for 400 meters. Instead, his first attempt at 600 meters (1.24.88) in September is very convincing, Petrac estimates.
– I wouldn’t be surprised if he ran 800 meters under two minutes very soon.
International stable
Petrac’s coaching stable is also joined by Schmidt’s underground Majtie Kolberg. Last summer, 24-year-old Kolberg was fifth in the European Championships in Rome and in the semi-finals in the Olympic Games in Paris. At his best, he has run a distance of 1:58.52.
– He is the best 800 meter runner in Germany. I’m really happy to have international runners in my team, Petrac is happy.
News corrected 10.11. at 10:17 p.m.: Corrected to the title and text of the story, that Schmidt is one of the most followed modern athletes in the world, not the most followed, as it read earlier in the story.