(L-R) Patrizia Vad de Weken, Luxembourg's national record holder 60m; Martine Hansen, Luxembourg's Minister of Sport, 18 January 2026;
Credit: Ali Sahib, Chronicle.lu
On Sunday 22 February 2026, Luxembourg’s sprinter Patrizia Van der Weken set a new national record in the 60m, finishing second at the Orlen Copernicus Cup in Torun, Poland.
The World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting marked her fifth international appearance of the winter season, three of which she has won. Two weeks ago, the 26-year-old claimed victory at the Meeting Metz Moselle Athlélor Crédit Mutuel in France with a time of 7.08 seconds.
In Torun, Patrizia Van der Weken recorded the fastest time in the heats, clocking 7.14 seconds. In the final, she improved further, setting a personal best of 7.01 seconds and breaking the Luxembourg national record in the 60m.
In a comment to Chronicle.lu, her coach Arnaud Starck said: “This time was not a complete surprise. I knew where we stood in recent weeks: in training, all the indicators were positive, and I had also noticed that her level had clearly improved compared to last year. That said, you never know exactly when everything will come together to produce a major performance; many things have to align on the day.”
He added: “We have worked extensively on many small details, particularly following the issues encountered last summer. We looked for solutions to improve certain aspects, and I believe that work has been effective.”
With this result, the Luxembourg national team athlete finished second, behind current European indoor champion and world silver medallist Zaynab Dosso of Italy, who set a national record and meeting best of 6.99 seconds.
The main target of the winter season for Patrizia Van der Weken will be the in Torun in March. Last year, she won bronze at this event with a time of 7.07 seconds. Asked whether his athlete could aim higher this time, Arnaud Starck replied: “There are now four weeks remaining before the World Indoor Championships, which will take place at the same venue. The level is very competitive, and we can expect very tight times on the day of the championship. So, we will see in four weeks.”
Patrizia Van der Weken’s next competition will be the Luxembourg National Championships, scheduled for Sunday 1 March 2026 at the Coque in Luxembourg-Kirchberg.
