Patrizia Van der Weken has rapidly emerged as Luxembourg’s fastest woman and one of the most exciting young sprinters on the international stage.
In less than two years, she has gone from relative obscurity to breaking national records and winning medals at the highest levels of competition.
Her remarkable rise is not only rewriting the history of athletics in Luxembourg but also inspiring a new generation of athletes to dream bigger than ever before.
Van der Weken first caught the world’s attention in 2023. She claimed gold in the women’s 100 metres at the FISU Summer World University Games in Chengdu, China. It was a breakthrough moment that proved she could compete — and win — on the international stage.
Since then, her career trajectory has been nothing short of meteoric. In 2024, she made history by becoming the first Luxembourgish athlete to win a Diamond League event. She grabbed a gold in the 100m at the Meeting de Paris.
She followed this with bronze medals in the 60m at both the 2025 World and European Indoor Championships. That was a historic firsts for her country.
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Van der Weken also became the first Luxembourgish woman to reach the semi-finals of the 100m at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She narrowly missed a medal at the 2024 European Athletics Championships. This is after finishing fourth in the 100m final while setting a new national record of 11.00 seconds.
Her personal bests now stand as Luxembourg’s national records in the 60m (7.06 seconds), 100m (11.00 seconds), and 200m (23.19 seconds).
Despite her rapid rise, Patrizia Van der Weken remains humble and focused. “I’m always surprised when people recognise me, even in the streets,” she admits. “It’s a little wild to me that people would stop to say a few words or take a picture or something.”
She acknowledges the pressures that come with fame but chooses to stay positive. “I don’t want to focus on the negative aspects,” she explains. “Maybe I’m delusional to do so, but it helps me to stay positive, stay focused. I know that I work hard and at some point it will work out.”
In one of the Interviews with Word Athletics , Van der Weken’s ambitions extend far beyond her own medals. She sees herself as a trailblazer for Luxembourg, a country with a modest sporting profile.
“Luxembourg is a tiny nation, and not a lot of people do what I do,” she says. “I want to bring sports forward here. I want to put Luxembourg on the map.”
Her story is already inspiring young athletes and bringing new attention to track and field in Luxembourg. “It’s unbelievable to see that I’m actually one of the role models. A couple of years ago I was the child looking up to others,” she lamented.
At 25, Van der Weken’s journey is only just beginning. With her dedication, resilience, and growing international experience, she aims to keep breaking barriers — and records — while continuing to inspire her country.