“This is a blow to Loena. She feels it’s a season plagued by misfortune. She wanted this so badly, and perhaps she put too much pressure on herself?” media about Loena Hendrickx’s withdrawal from European Championships
Loena Hendrickx withdrew from European Championships.
original source: Sporza
Yesterday, the defending champion had to withdraw from next week’s European Figure Skating Championships. Belgian journalist gave some more details about Loena’s condition. Here’s a translation of the comments posted on Sporza.
“Given the many withdrawals over the past months and her ankle injury, Hendrickx’s withdrawal from the European Championships was not a complete shock. “And yet, I must admit I was a bit surprised,” told journalist Inge Van Meensel.
“I saw and spoke to her on December 15 in Mechelen. Despite her injury, she made an appearance at a charity gala. She skated there, but did not perform any jumps.”
“Loena sounded optimistic about the European Championships next week, where she definitely wanted to defend her title. But the problem persisted: she cannot perform her important jumps, so participation is pointless.”
“She sprained her ankle during training in December. At first, it seemed not to be a severe injury, but it did set her back in her preparations for the Championships.”
An MRI scan last Friday revealed the formation of a cyst and the presence of fluid. “She can’t jump, and she can’t perform competition-level routines. There’s talk of ankle instability, although we don’t have more information at the moment.”
“This is a blow to Loena,” the journalist doesn’t mince words. “She feels it’s a season plagued by misfortune. She wanted this so badly, and perhaps she put too much pressure on herself? But it will definitely hit hard.”
The World Championships are at the end of March. Is that still feasible? “It depends on how the injury evolves. Then she’ll need to adjust her plans. She has two more months. That’s not a lot, but we don’t know from what point she needs to rebuild. And a stable ankle is, of course, crucial for jumps.”
Physical repairs are necessary, but the mental aspect will also need to be addressed. “Such injuries get into your head. Loena will need to regain her confidence. At this level, even the slightest doubt is fatal. Everything needs to be right to reach peak performance, and at a championship, that’s necessary if you want to compete at the top. And Loena settles for nothing less than the top.”
“That’s been an issue at the start of the season after what was actually a good summer. But Loena felt she wasn’t making progress.”
“Again: she is a perfectionist, and she puts a lot of pressure on herself. At the European Championships, as a fantastic athlete, she has earned her stripes, but of course, that brings even more pressure and higher expectations.”
“After finishing third in Shanghai, she canceled her participation in France and Finland, and then there was the injury. Whether the World Championships are now feasible is a question for everyone.”
Related topics: European Championships, Loena Hendrickx
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