Loena Hendrickx: “I thought my career was over. But here I am again, with a medal. I need to be a bit prouder of myself and just enjoy it. I always expect the best, nothing is ever good enough.”
Loena Hendrickx on winning silver at the European Championships.
original source: Sporza dd. January 16th, 2026
Loena Hendrickx won silver at the European Championships but was disappointed with her performance, citing illness and injury, yet remains determined and proud as she looks ahead to the Olympics. Here’s a translation of her comments posted on Sporza.
“I was definitely not satisfied with my performance today,” she said with the silver medal around her neck. “I know I can do better and that I was only at 50 to 60 percent of my ability. I just wasn’t really in it today.”
There are several explanations for this: nerves, uncertainty, and a cold. “That’s not ideal in this sport, where it can feel like you’re dying for a moment. With a blocked nose, it’s even worse. It was a fight in this free skate, a fight against myself.”
“I gave it my all. To still go home with the silver medal is wonderful, but I would have preferred it differently. I would rather have delivered a beautiful performance and maybe not won a medal,” Hendrickx admitted.
High Standards Hendrickx also suffered from a minor injury. “I’m not sure what it was, a muscle or a tendon that was affected. Every time I just lift my foot off the ground, I’m in agony. All week it was under control, but today it was really bad.”
“That’s very annoying, something we’ll have to check when I get back. But it’s certainly not something I’ve never had before. Unfortunately, it comes with the territory.”
There was also extra stress. She even considered not skating the free program. “I don’t know what was going on with me. I wasn’t very nervous, but maybe a bit anxious. A little afraid of failing, I think.”
“I know I shouldn’t feel that way, but you want to perform and show your best. That’s who I am. I put pressure on myself. I want to show the best.”
Alongside the self-criticism, there is also pride. “After the free skate, I was disappointed, but then I think: ‘Don’t always set the bar so high, be proud of yourself.’”
“Not even a year ago, I had surgery,” Hendrickx continued. “I thought my career was over. But here I am again, with a medal. I need to be a bit prouder of myself and just enjoy it. I always expect the best, nothing is ever good enough.”
With that mentality, her focus turns to the Winter Olympics. “I hope I can really do that in Milan. I’m going to train just as hard as in recent weeks, and keep my fingers crossed.”
“The world level is even higher. I know I’ll have to give it my all,” Hendrickx said determinedly.
According to her brother and coach Jorik, Loena Hendrickx was only at “about half of her potential.”
“We really had to pull her together,” he said. “Loena was emotionally drained, but she fought.”
Despite all the problems, Loena proved that even with mistakes, she can still compete for medals. “This result shows how strong she really is,” said Jorik Hendrickx. “She can draw strength from this.”
With the Winter Olympics approaching, there’s little time, but no panic. “There’s no miracle solution,” said Jorik. “We’ll keep working as we have been. Loena has shown she can fight.”
Related topics: European Championships, Loena Hendrickx
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