Boxing gloves off, cycling gloves on: Sophie Alisch is switching disciplines and wants to go to the 2028 Olympic Games as a cyclist.
Sophie Alisch, one of the biggest young hopes in German boxing, surprises with a radical career move: The 23-year-old leaves the ring – and gets on her bike! Her goal: the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. In an emotional Instagram video, Alisch shows the symbolic break: she hangs up her boxing gloves, grabs her racing bike handlebars and talks about fire, change and determination. “This is not an end. It’s a development.”
Her boxing career was impressive, albeit slowed down by changes of promoter. In 2019, she made a spectacular professional debut, remaining unbeaten in ten fights. But recently she has lacked the fights, the drive – now she is looking for new challenges on two wheels.
She is apparently being supported by German bike manufacturer Canyon. The switch doesn’t seem like a PR stunt, but rather an ambitious new start – driven by talent, reach (580,000 followers on Instagram) and genuine ambition. Alisch joins the ranks of athletes who have had success by switching sports – from Christoph Langen to Alexandra Burghardt. Whether Sophie Alisch’s path will lead to the Olympics remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: she wants to. She can. And she will give it her all.
Text by Robin Josten