Loena Hendrickx, Belgium's figure skating queen who just missed out on the world title

No world title for Loena Hendrickx. The Belgian queen of figure skating was in the lead at the World Championships after a brilliant short program, but fell to fourth place after the free program.

Hendrickx felt she could have had a better result. "Of course, I have mixed feelings now," she was quoted by Belgian sport outlet Sporza. "My free program was really not good, so much below my level."

Hendrickx was nervous, but also did not feel great physically. "My body is just really exhausted. I'm very competitive, so normally I could drag it out one more time... It's just a shame."

Figure skating is probably one of the most competitive sports there is. However, Hendrickx has taken the sport by storm in recent years, racking up medals at major international events. This is her story.

Hendrickx is the younger sister of former figure skater Jorik Hendrickx, who is now her coach. On her personal website, she describes how she saw her brother do a spin at the age of four and has wanted to follow in his footsteps ever since.

That was the start of her skating story. She first took part in a national competition at the age of 6 and since then has built up an impressive career. But what exactly has Hendrickx won?

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First, she left her mark on Belgian figure skating, being crowned national junior and senior champion on multiple occasions. She will undoubtedly go down as one of the best, if not the best, Belgian figure skater of all time.

However, Hendrickx had her eye on an international breakthrough. After a good showing on the junior circuit, she began competing at senior level, claiming her first international medal at the International Cup of Nice in October 2016.

She continued to work on her international breakthrough, competing in her first European and World Championships in 2017 and winning gold at the International Challenge Cup in The Hague. In 2018, she took part in her first Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, coming in 16th overall.

In the 2018/19 season, Hendrickx continued to show her class, winning his first medal at a Challenger event and making her debut on the GP circuit at Skate America.

During the 2019/20 season, however, she struggled with a number of injuries that somewhat hampered her progress, but Hendrickx fought hard to make a successful comeback.

She did so at the CS Budapest Trophy and the International Challenge Cup, claiming gold at both events, and the 2021 World Championships in Stockholm, where she came in fifth overall.

Hendrickx was now considered a top figure skater, and she confirmed this at several events during the 2021/22 season. She won a bronze medal at the Gran Premio d'Italia and silver overall at the World Championships in Montpellier. She also took part in the Winter Olympics in Beijing, but did not reach the podium.

However, Hendrickx was hungry for more, and she had an excellent 2022/23 season. She claimed bronze at the GP Final and the World Championships, and silver at the European Championships. The next season, she added another silver GP Final medal to her tally and won the prestigious Skate America event.

Her biggest triumph of the season was then yet to come, when Hendrickx skated to victory at the European Championships in Kaunas, Lithuania. Fellow countrywoman Nina Pinzarrone completed the Belgian party, taking bronze.

With her performances on the rise and her eternal smile, the future of Hendrickx and Belgian figure skating looks bright. What will be her next triumph?

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