(L-R) Norbert Haupert, FJB President; Céleste Mordenti;
Credit: Fondation Josy Barthel
On Tuesday 19 May 2026, the Fondation Josy Barthel (FJB) announced Céleste Mordenti as the recipient of its 2025 scholarship.
At the Maison des Sports in Strassen, FJB President Norbert Haupert presented a cheque for €5,000 to the Luxembourgish artistic gymnast.
According to the FJB, Céleste Mordenti has established herself in recent years as one of the rising figures in Luxembourg sport. She has rapidly progressed through the ranks of elite gymnastics, representing Luxembourg at several European and World Championships. After attending the Sportlycée in Luxembourg, she pursued studies in artificial intelligence (AI) in Amsterdam in the Netherlands while continuing her sporting career at the highest level.
In 2024, she made history by becoming the first Luxembourgish gymnast to win a medal at a FIG World Cup. According to the foundation, her journey combining sporting achievement, higher education and commitment made her a deserving recipient of the scholarship.
On the same occasion, Nicole Kuhn-Di Centa, President of the Panathlon Club Luxembourg, presented a cheque for €2,000 to the Fondation Josy Barthel. The sum was raised through a lottery organised around the book Luxemburger Sportgeschichten by Georges Klepper. Donated by the author, the book holds particular symbolic value due to the many signatures it contains, notably those of Luxembourgish athletes and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg.
The Panathlon Club Luxembourg promotes the moral, ethical and cultural values of sport. Through its actions, it advocates for sport practised in the spirit of fair play and views sport as an important vehicle for culture, education and unity among peoples.
The Fondation Josy Barthel aims to support young athletes wishing to pursue post-secondary studies or professional training alongside high-level sporting activities. The foundation can also assist athletes nearing the end of their careers as they prepare to enter or return to the professional world.
The foundation was established in 1995 by the Barthel family and the Luxembourg Olympic and Sports Committee (COSL) in memory of Josy Barthel, who won gold for Luxembourg in the Men's 1500m at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland.
