“It’s been a very uncertain road to the Olympics. I had hoped to be able to say that I’m here in my best form, but I got injured after the Europeans” Loena Hendrickx on challenges in the lead-up to her third Olympics, including injuries and last-minute music changes
Loena Hendrickx reflects on her road to 2026 Olympics.
original source: Sporza dd. 15th February 2026
Belgian figure skater Loena Hendrickx faced numerous challenges in the lead-up to her third Winter Olympics, including injuries and last-minute changes to her music. Despite the setbacks, she remains determined to give her all and is proud to once again compete on the Olympic stage. Here’s a translation of her comments posted on Sporza.
From injury setbacks to the last-minute rejection of her music choice, she admits, “It’s been a very uncertain road to the Winter Olympics.”
“It’s really special to be here again. It’s so unique, and I am quite proud of that,” Hendrickx shared with a smile during her first interview in Milan. Yet behind her enthusiasm, there is an inevitable sense of realism as her preparation for the Olympic Games was significantly disrupted in the weeks leading up to the competition.
“I had hoped to be able to say that I’m here in my best form, but I got injured after the European Championships,” she revealed. “At first, I thought it wasn’t too serious, and I took some rest, but it turned out to be a more bothersome situation than I expected.”
Adding to her troubles, about a week and a half ago, Hendrickx faced another setback. “I twisted my ankle on the ice, which led to a bone bruise. I had to take two more days off. Let’s just say – this journey to the Games has been very uncertain.”
When asked how these challenges might impact her performance, Hendrickx said, “At the moment, it doesn’t hinder me much on the ice, but it has definitely affected my preparation. It’s a different mindset when you come here having had such disruptions.”
Despite everything, Hendrickx’s positive attitude remains evident. “Because of all these challenges, I’m even prouder to be here again. I will give it my all because things have been going well these past few days. I want to push away the negative thoughts and trust myself again. I will give everything I have.”
In addition to her physical struggles, Hendrickx had to adapt quickly to a practical issue: her initial music choice was rejected at the last moment. “When Jorik [her brother and coach] messaged me about it, I thought, ‘No, this can’t be happening.’ I hoped we could resolve it, but it ended up being too complicated. In the end, we made the safe choice and switched to another song.”
In a coincidence, her new short program music is also a song by Céline Dion. Instead of “Ashes,” she will now skate to “I Surrender.” Hendrickx admitted she feels comfortable with the new program but noted, “It does add an extra layer of tension to these Games.”
Letting go of “Ashes” has not been easy for Hendrickx, given its personal significance. “Four years ago, I already said I wanted to skate to that music at the next Olympics. I was thrilled when we decided to go for it, but now, having it taken away feels like a piece of it has been stolen from me. But it’s fine – we’ll make the best of it. I’ll give it my all,” Hendrickx concluded resolutely.
Related topics: Loena Hendrickx, Olympic Games
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