Kolbe condemns racist abuse of teammates in post-race interview at European Championships

After finishing sixth in her 800m semi-final at the 2026 European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, Germany's Smilla Kolbe, 24, used a trackside TV interview to condemn repeated racist abuse of her teammates on social media. She said: "I don't want to imagine what it would be like if I wasn't as white as I am," and called on viewers to show athletes respect.