A Greenhouse Full of Medals
Alexandra Burghardt, a University of Mannheim alumna, is one of only two German athletes to have won a medal at both the Summer and Winter Olympics. Here’s her story.
German indoor champion in the 60-meter sprint in 2025, bronze medalist in the 4x100-meter relay at the 2024 Paris Olympics, gold at the 2022 European Championships in Munich, and bronze at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene—Alexandra Burghardt’s list of sprinting achievements is long. Add to that a silver medal in the two-woman bobsled at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
“I’d been asked a few times if I could imagine trying bobsledding, and the timing just worked out,” says Burghardt. In the summer of 2021, she became German champion, ran a personal best, and fulfilled a childhood dream by competing at the Tokyo Olympics. Shortly afterward came the push test, the world cup, the Winter Games—and a medal in bobsled. Her time on the ice track brought new experiences: sharpening runners, optimizing aerodynamics, memorizing track layouts. “At first I was definitely nervous, but I knew Mariama Jamanka was the best pilot in the world,” Burghardt recalls. “When you get a clean run with no wall contact, it’s really fun. But if you hit a lot of walls, it really hurts—and you come away with a lot of bruises.” That, however, wasn’t the reason she retired from bobsledding after just one season: “It was clear from the start that it would end after the Olympics.” Since then, her focus has been entirely on sprinting again.
The Bavarian native moved to Mannheim at 19 to join the training group led by European champion Verena Sailer—and to study as a recipient of the Elite Sports Scholarship Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region. At first, she was homesick. “But when it was time to leave, I was really sad. I fell in love with the city—and studying in the Schloss is something truly special,” she says. In 2019, she earned a bachelor’s degree in Culture and Economy. “I was supported every step of the way,” she recalls. “The university was proud of my athletic achievements and wanted me to graduate, even though I couldn’t study full-time, of course.” That degree gives her peace of mind: “If my athletic career ended tomorrow, I could apply for a job and start working. That’s a huge gift.”
“The highlight of my career”
Burghardt now lives and trains in Altötting, Bavaria. Speaking from her “home base” in a video call, she talks candidly about both her triumphs and her setbacks. “I’ve been doing track and field since I was nine. Because of my height, my joints are under a lot of strain. I’ve had my share of injuries.” The COVID-19 pandemic, however, became an unexpected chance to recover: she was able to heal properly and, thanks to the postponed Games, still pursue her Olympic dream. Although she was eliminated in the semifinals in Tokyo, she won her preliminary heat with the second-best time of her career. “After only being a reserve in Rio, running the 100 meters in Tokyo was the highlight of my career,” she says. Then she laughs: “But the medals were really nice too.”
The pandemic also sparked a new passion. “I set up my own little greenhouse full of plant cuttings,” she says. After the lockdowns ended, she was traveling so much that many of them didn’t survive. Today, the greenhouse serves a new purpose: “It’s become my medal and trophy case.”
When asked about future goals, Burghardt’s calm focus is unmistakable: “I take it year by year. I want to enjoy what I’m doing, make decisions I can stand behind, and most of all, stay healthy—then the personal bests will follow.” And likely, more medals to fill her greenhouse.
Text: Dr. Maartje Koschorreck / August 2025