Credit: Ievgenii Karanov, Chronicle.lu
On Friday 27 June 2025, the Committee of the Luxembourg Sports Press Association (sportspress.lu), together with the management of Groupe Foyer, held an official award ceremony in honour of Patrizia van der Weken, who was named "Best Female Athlete 2024”.
Luxembourg’s Minister of Sport, Georges Mischo, opened the event with a speech highlighting the significance of Patrizia van der Weken’s achievements over the past season. He noted her performances as a finalist in both the European Championships and the Olympic Games in the 100 m sprint, describing the season as “extraordinary.”
“Perhaps there are boys and girls who now want to pursue the same career path and are more motivated when they see what Patrizia has been achieving month after month,” he stated. The Minister Mischo also acknowledged the broader commitment behind such success: “We don’t see the daily training, the sacrifices, the time she invests. But in the end, it pays off.”
Luxembourg Olympic and Sporting Committee (COSL) President Michel Knepper, also highlighted the role of Patrizia’s support network, praising the work of her federation and her coach Arnaud Starck. He emphasised the importance of family support, noting the presence of Patrizia’s mother at the event. Knepper added: “We truly appreciate Patrizia’s determination and discipline. I can only say: stay as modest as you are. We wish you much success for the upcoming season.”
Van der Weken has continued to deliver strong performances in 2025, securing bronze medals in the women’s 60m at both the European and World Indoor Athletics Championships. She also competed in several Diamond League meetings during the summer season, running the 100m, with a season’s best of 11.05 seconds. Chronicle.lu spoke with the 2024 Best Female Athlete, as voted by sportspress.lu, about her performances and upcoming plans during the award ceremony.
“Obviously it’s a nice recognition from the people in Luxembourg,” said Van der Weken in response to receiving the 2024 Best Female Athlete award, voted by sportspress.lu. “But that’s not the biggest point. I want people to care about athletics… It’s nice to be able to be in a position to get people’s attention.” She welcomed the increased visibility of women’s achievements in sport, adding: “It shows that sports is going in the right direction, especially with the other female athletes, so that’s nice to see.”
Reflecting on her recent performances in the Diamond League - Doha (fifth place), Oslo (fourth) and Stockholm (sixth), Van der Weken noted: “I’ve done three Diamond League [meets] so far. It went okay, let’s put it that way. The times haven’t been as fast as I want them to be, but I’m trying to put all the pieces together.” She ran a season’s best in Doha and recorded top-six finishes across the events. “Diamond League is always very competitive, so it’s more about placings than times,” she added.
Looking ahead, Van der Weken said her goal remains to break the eleven-second barrier in the 100 m: “Yes, that would be good. But before that, I need to fix my technique and fix everything around it… I have a couple months to go, so there’s no pressure just yet.”
As for her immediate plans, Patrizia said she would continue training until mid-July before competing in a few smaller meetings. “I’m probably doing some low-key competition in France. And then I will do two, one in Belgium, just because it’s always nice to go there, there’s a nice atmosphere, and it’s not far,” she explained.
The main focus of her season remains the World Athletics Championships, scheduled for September 2025 in Tokyo, Japan. “So I have plenty of time,” she concluded.
