Loena and Nina skate their way to European medals
Belgian figure skater Loena Hendrickx clinched a historical gold medal at the European championships and shared the podium with 17-year-old sensation Nina Pinzarrone.
Hendrickx’ medal was the first ever title in single skating for Belgium. Expectations were high for Loena, and she did not disappoint.
Starting the free skating segment in first place after decimating the competition in the short program, she wowed crowd and jury with all sorts of flips, spins and fancy footwork. Hendrickx later shared that she “never enjoyed a programme as much as I did here.” Well, so did everyone else that was watching her skate.
As if the historical gold medal wasn’t enough, the podium coloured a little more Belgian, with Pinzarrone putting in a spectacular performance that landed her the bronze medal with her second appearance at the European championships.
She’s learning the important lessons at a young age, saying that “the most important things was to believe in myself, because I knew I could do it.”
With two strong young women who can hold their own on an ice rink, the future is bright for Belgian figure skating.