SportFabrik opening in November 2022; Credit: MSP

On Wednesday 2 August 2023, Luxembourg's Ministry of Sports, together with the Luxembourg Institute for High Performance in Sports (LIHPS), confirmed that they intend to implement the necessary measures to maintain support for elite athletes following heavy rains last weekend that caused damage to the SportFabrik.

They stated that significant water damage was suffered at the SportFabrik building on rue Camille Gira in Oberkorn: rainwater entered the building through the emergency exit and caused extensive damage to the laboratory and severely damaged some test equipment. At this stage, the precise origin of the incident is under investigation. In addition, in close collaboration with the City of Differdange, the necessary steps are being taken to assess the exact extent of the damage caused by this incident.

They also stated that it is currently impossible to accurately determine the time required for repairs; however, they stressed that their priority remains the support of elite athletes during this period of unavailability of SportFabrik which was only inaugurated in November 2022. The state-of-the-art infrastructure, the result of a joint initiative by the Ministry of Sport, the City of Differdange, the COSL and the CMOL, places Luxembourg at the forefront of movement analysis, injury prevention and return to sport for top athletes in Europe. Managed by the LIHPS, in collaboration with its scientific partner the LIROMS, the biomechanical laboratory of the SportFabrik aims to promote high-level sport, sports medicine and science.

The LIHPS and its partners are studying solutions to maintain, in the current circumstances, the best possible support for elite athletes in order to support them on their journey, in particular qualification and preparation for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games