“Didn’t dare to dream big”
German ends unique Olympic career
June 9, 2026 – 7:00 p.mReading time: 1 min.
Alexandra Burghardt does something extraordinary: she wins an Olympic medal in both winter and summer. Now it’s over.
At the age of 32, the sprinter and bobsledder Alexandra Burghardt ended her active career. Despite Olympic silver in the two-man bobsleigh in Beijing in 2022 and bronze with the German sprint relay at the Summer Games in Paris two years ago, her sporting highlight is something else: the start in the 100 meters at the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021.
“I’ve fulfilled my childhood dream. This run has meant the most to me,” said Burghardt in an interview with BR24Sport, adding: “I’ve thought a lot about when the perfect time is. You’ll feel it at some point. I’m super happy with my career.”
The sprinter was part of the German top class for many years, but was slowed down several times by injuries. “At the beginning of my career, I didn’t dare to dream big,” said Burghardt. She ended up competing in the Olympics four times: three times in the summer and once in the winter.
As Mariama Jamanka’s pusher, she won silver in the two-man bobsleigh in Beijing in 2022. In 2024 she won bronze with the German sprint relay at the Summer Games in Paris. “Both medals have great value to me. There is no one that means more to me,” said Burghardt.