Ruben Querinjean, 3000m steeplechase FISU Games record holder; Credit: COSL

At the end of July 2025, young athletes from Luxembourg represented the Grand Duchy at two major international multi-sport events: the 17th edition of the European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) held in Skopje, North Macedonia, and the FISU World University Games in Germany’s Rhine-Ruhr region.

The FISU World University Games proved more fruitful for Team Lëtzebuerg, as Luxembourg claimed a gold medal through middle-distance runner Ruben Querinjean. The steeplechase athlete lived up to his billing as favourite, winning the men’s 3000m steeplechase in a time of 8:18.47 - setting a new FISU Games record.

His victory marked Luxembourg’s third ever medal at this event and only the second gold in its history. The country’s first gold came just two years earlier, when Patrizia van der Weken won the women’s 100m in 11.22 seconds. Before that, Luxembourg had only one FISU medal to its name - a bronze in the men’s 800m at the 1963 Games in Porto.

Also coming close to the podium was artistic gymnast Céleste Mordenti, who delivered a strong performance in the vault final, finishing fourth overall with an impressive average of 13.183 points. Gil Weicherding placed 10th in the men’s 3000m steeplechase, while Mathis Espagnet showed strong form in the 800m semi-finals. Swimmer Finn Kemp represented Luxembourg in four events, with his best result being 22nd out of 45 in the 200m breaststroke. In women’s épée fencing, Anna Zens placed second in her pool and ultimately ranked 35th out of 100 participants.

Luxembourg’s Minister of Sport, Georges Mischo, also shared his thoughts with Chronicle.lu, stating: “I am very, very proud of the performances. Not only about Ruben who won the gold medal and FISU world record, but also the other performance. It’s Fanny Arendt, [who] did a good job in the 800 metres.”

Meanwhile, the Summer European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) in Skopje saw one of the largest Luxembourg delegations to date, with 26 athletes competing across ten disciplines. From a sporting standpoint, this edition proved particularly successful for Team Lëtzebuerg, which reached five finals and secured several Top 10 and Top 20 finishes.

In athletics, Uyana Granger delivered Luxembourg’s best result with a 4th place in the 400m hurdles, setting a new U20 national record. Damien Pechon finished 11th in the 2000m steeplechase. In swimming, Emma Barthel placed 6th in the 200m breaststroke final - breaking the national record with a time of 2:36.45 - and reached the semi-finals of the 200m individual medley. Dana Resl, the youngest team member, showed great promise in the 50m freestyle.

Elsewhere, Aaron Sahr placed 5th in table tennis after advancing to the quarter-finals. In taekwondo, Christopher Wünsch came 9th, while his brother Luca was eliminated in the opening round, competing under challenging heat conditions.

“I think the young people make their experiences competing with other athletes from other countries. And that's a very good, a very strong experience to do. And I think the performances are good. And it will be a bound, perhaps, for the Olympics 2028 in LA or 2032 in Brisbane. And yeah, I think there are experiences that can't be made in other cases in life, so I'm very proud of them,” stated Minister Mischo.

He added that the EYOF delegation was one of the largest Luxembourg has ever sent to the event, alongside a strong university team at the FISU Games in Germany. He emphasised the athletes’ commitment in training and noted that the opportunity to compete internationally was a valuable experience for their development.

Whilst the festival in North Macedonia concluded without any podium finishes for Team Lëtzebuerg, Luxembourg’s overall record at the Summer European Youth Olympic Festival remains noteworthy. The Grand Duchy has secured five medals in total over the years - three gold, one silver and one bronze - with the most recent medal-winning performance dating back to the 2007 edition.