Luxembourgish women in sport: 8 portraits for 8th March (II)
To celebrate International Women's Day, which takes place on 8th March in many countries across the world, we will admire the feats of eight sportswomen from Luxembourg. We'll revisit their past exploits, as well as their current achievements, and shine a light on their inspirational role for a whole new generation of girls who are starting out on their sporting careers and fighting against stereotypes and discrimination. In this article, we will retrace the careers of Christine Majerus, Amy Thompson, Patrizia Van der Weken and Lena Rocca. The first article in the series focused on the achievements of Lory Koster, Ni Xia Lian, Norma Zambon and Sandra Schwinninger.
Christine Majerus (1987-), riding to the summit of the cycling world
Cycling was not Christine Majerus's first choice of sport. She initially fell in love with athletics and was national 400m and 800m champion on several occasions. She switched to cycling in her early twenties, after injuries prevented her from achieving the results she wanted on the track.
On two wheels, she excelled from the start, competing in road racing, cyclo-cross and time trials. In Luxembourg, she has been the undisputed national champion for over a decade (12 times in cyclo-cross, 14 times in road races and 16 times in time trials). Also, she has been named Sportswoman of the Year on seven occasions. With her SD Worx team - which she joined in 2013 and with whom she has a contract until the end of 2024 - she has reached the top of the world women's cycling rankings. In her third Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020, (after her successes in London 2012 and Rio 2016), she finished 20th in the road race and 21st in the time trial. She is yet to confirm her participation at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
A passion for cycling, with a literary twist...
Christine Majerus is also an illustrator. In the beginning, drawing was a just hobby that allowed her to pass the time in hotel rooms when travelling to competitions. Slowly but surely, it became a passion. Now, we can enjoy this lesser-known side of the Luxembourgish cyclist in the book "E Vëlo fir de Muli" (Revue éditions). Can you guess what the book is about? That's right - cycling!
Amy Thompson (1994-), the red lion of Luxembourg football
Amy Thompson started her sporting adventure in gymnastics, swimming and ballet. By the time she reached 10 years old, she decided that she wanted to play football and table tennis. At the age of 14, she had to choose between the two disciplines, and her ultimate goal became football! It was also at this age that she started to play women’s football, initially for FC Progrès Niederkorn. Ever since, her rise has been unstoppable: at 16, she made her debut for the Luxembourg national team, then between 2013 and 2015, she played in the Bundesliga in Germany. She was also the first Luxembourg footballer to move to the United States, where she studied at university in New York.
On her return to Luxembourg, she had to take a break due to injury and became coach of FC Progrès Niederkorn. In 2021, she joined FC Mamer 32 and stepped out onto the pitch once again as a player. Since then, she has won the title of best player in the Luxembourg football championship twice in a row: the Dribble d'or 2022 and 2023.
The history of women's football in Luxembourg on the silver screen
Amy Thompson has the first and last lines of the documentary film "Um Ball", directed by Tessy Troes, who is also an avid football fan. This film traces the history of women's football in Luxembourg since 1972, when the first official women's match took place between Belvaux and Bissen. Through the testimonies of former players, the film tells the story of the obstacles faced by the Grand Duchy's women's teams, who for a long time were subjected to ridicule by certain men who, unfortunately, continue to mock their progress to this day.
Patrizia Van der Weken (1999-), the first Luxembourgish woman to qualify for Paris 2024
2023 was a particularly fruitful year for Patrizia Van der Weken. She won gold in the 100m at the Games of the Small States of Europe and at the Universiade. She also beat several of her personal best times, including the 100m outdoor on two separate occasions (11''05 and 11''02), which opened the door to the next Olympic Games. Thus, she became the first athlete from Team Lëtzebuerg to secure her place at Paris 2024.
Patrizia Van der Weken began winning medals back in 2015. In her first appearance at the Games of the Small States of Europe, she won bronze in the 4x100m. She has been at the top of the rankings in Luxembourg since 2017: she is eight-time national indoor champion and five-time outdoor champion. She is currently 28th in the world rankings in the 100m.
She ended an extraordinary year by winning the prize for best sportswoman in 2023, awarded by the Luxembourg Association of Sports Journalists.
An elite athlete at university
An elite athlete, Patrizia Van der Weken also holds a bachelor's degree in International Sports Management. She is currently studying for an MBA in International Sport Management and Digitalisation at the Lunex university in the Grand Duchy.
Lena Rocca (1999-), an e-sport pioneer
Lena has been on quite a journey: from playing Nintendo DS with her brothers when she was 10 to taking part in the 2022 World Esports Championship with the Luxembourg team at the age of 23. Her achievement is truly amazing, as she is the first woman from Luxembourg to take part in the world's biggest e-sports competition.
Initially, she didn't intend to play professionally. As soon as she started secondary school, and then university, she found that she didn't have enough time to practice intensively after class. At this time, she realised that she wouldn't reach the level to become a pro. And yet she managed... in a largely male-dominated world where gender stereotypes are still entrenched. Although e-sport has long been stigmatised and misunderstood by a real sport enthusiasts, it is gradually becoming more accepted. However, women still represent a minority in the e-sport arena.
During the 2022 World Esports Championship, Lena Rocca was part of a mixed team but she was the only woman! After this experience, one of her projects was to set up a women's team on CS (Counter Strike) and to take part in the qualifiers for the World Championship.
From e-sport to fashion, with a detour in biology
Lena Rocca is also a fashion model. She started at the age of seven, modelling at a social event for a friend of the family. When she was 19, a photographer asked her to take part in a photo shoot. Since then, she has received numerous requests for shoots, and also modeled during the Fashion Week in Paris and Luxembourg. She combined modelling with studying for her biology degree in Germany: she completed he bachelor's degree in Biology and is now studying for a master's degree in Biology, specialising in Medical Life Science.
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