Van der Weken Disappointed After World Indoor Final, Says FLA

From Friday 20 to Sunday 22 March 2026, Luxembourg’s three-athlete national team competed at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Toruń (Poland), finishing without medals.

Sprinter Patrizia Van der Weken, who won bronze in the 60m at last year’s edition, reached the final, where she finished eighth overall. The 26-year-old Luxembourg athlete won her heat in 7.14 seconds before recording 7.05 seconds in the semi-finals, the second-best time of her career, to secure a place in the final. In the decisive race, she clocked 7.10 seconds.

According to Luxembourg’s Athletics Federation (FLA), the final was one of the fastest and most competitive in history, with just one tenth of a second separating the winner from eighth place. Italy’s Zaynab Dosso won the title in 7.00 seconds, ahead of the USA’s Jacious Sears and Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred, who both recorded 7.03 seconds to finish second and third, respectively.

“Patrizia was naturally disappointed. When you stand on the start line after two strong races and a perfect season, you aim for more than eighth place. But she is very mature, she understood her mistake and she knows that in a championship this competitive, every detail counts. One should also not forget that this is her third consecutive World Indoor final,” said Jean-Baptiste Souche, Technical Director of FLA, in an interview with Chronicle.lu.

Meanwhile, Victoria Rausch made her debut at the World Championships. The 29-year-old athlete competed in the 60m hurdles and was eliminated in the heats after clocking 8.18 seconds, just one tenth of a second off her personal best, finishing 40th overall.

Vera Bertemes-Hoffmann competed in the 1500m but did not qualify for the final. The 29-year-old clocked 4:21.90 in her heat, finishing 21st overall, with the race decided by a late acceleration in the final lap which she was unable to match.

“This has been a good Championships for Luxembourg. […] The level was extremely high here, and having three athletes competing at this stage is a very positive signal for Luxembourg athletics,” concluded Jean-Baptiste Souche.