Loena Hendrickx is on her own path: 'I want to achieve anything that seems impossible'
The 23-year-old reigning world silver medallist knows her story isn't typical in the sport. Coached by brother Jorik, she dreams of skating in front of her family at Milano Cortina 2026.
Figure Skating
For Belgian figure skater Loena Hendrickx, it’s a family affair.
The two-time Olympian and reigning world silver medallist not only has a fellow Olympian as her coach, but also someone who knows her better than almost anyone else in the world: Her brother, Jorik.
“Because I know he went through everything [I’m going] through, it's a big thing for me,” Loena told Olympics.com in an interview. “He knows me the best and also how I go through every situation and competition. He brought me to this level and I'm so thankful for everything he did for me.”
The switch from her longtime coach Carine Herrygers to Jorik came at an unexpected time: Just prior to the Olympic season in August of 2021. But the results seemed to speak for themselves. Hendrickx became the first Belgian woman to win a Grand Prix medal in November of that year, then was eighth at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 before capturing the silver medal at the World Championships in Montpellier.
Loena had arrived at the top of the sport – in her early 20s.
Now 23, Hendrickx has her eyes fixed on Milano Cortina 2026, but knows the road there is a long one. She spoke openly about training smarter at her age, what age really means in women’s figure skating and which Belgian athlete inspires her outside of her own sport.
Loena and Jorik Hendrickx: A family affair
Jorik himself was an accomplished skater, winning four national titles, going to two Olympic Games and capturing the title at Nebelhorn Trophy in 2017 – particularly impressive as the ISU Challenger event serves as an Olympic qualifier.
When he made his transition to coaching following a 14th-place finish at PyeongChang 2018, Loena did not start working with him immediately. It was only after she observed other skaters being trained by her brother that she realised she wanted the same for herself, the two of them having previously been trained together under Herrygers.
“I was jealous of the other skaters who had lessons with him,” Hendrickx laughed. “I told him, ‘I want to train with you as well.’ Immediately I felt so comfortable with him. He's such a good coach – and so inspirational.”
In addition to knowing Loena so well, her brother-turned-coach offered her something she was in particular need of in the moment: An approach that was attuned to injuries. While female singles skating is often dominated by teenagers, Hendrickx was hitting her potential in her early 20s, meaning she needed to care for her body in a particular way.
“As a coach, he has something in him that he [can] recognise when someone has pain and he immediately reacts and then adjusts the steps of the training,” she said. “That's just something I really missed before because I had a lot of injuries, but I always trained so hard... further and further until I was broken.”
She continued: “He really finds solutions to still train, but less. And I think that's something I really needed: To have a coach who really knows my body and knows how it all works as an athlete.”
Hendrickx on her own timeline
Hendrickx was a promising junior, but her path was marred by injuries – as well as a lack of financial support. Over the years, Loena has suffered a spinal injury, a fractured ankle and issues in her knee, back and groin.
The groin injury came just weeks before worlds in 2022, but she and her team managed to be ready for the event, where she would eventually win Belgium its first figure skating world medal since 1948.
Hendrickx appreciates the success, especially as it comes on her own timeline – much later than many of the teenagers in the sport, a pattern that the International Skating Union (ISU) is trying to curb with new age-eligibility rules.
“I really admire skaters who perform at the age of 20 or above,” she said. “I know [from my experience] it's really hard when you get older. It's mentally so hard – and physically, as well. Everything needs more time to come back after a[n injury] break. Or mentally, it's so much harder because you really overthink things. You think about every bad thing that can happen.”
She continued: “If I rely on my 15-year-old [mentality], then I was just doing everything and [I didn't] think about anything and just went for it. It was mentally much easier than now. And that's why I really admire skaters above 20 [years old] because I know how hard it is.”
With reigning world champion Sakamoto Kaori at 22 years old, the two women represent the first time two 20-somethings took the top spots at Worlds since Yuna Kim and Carolina Kostner went 1-2 in 2013.
Can they repeat that feat later this month at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships?
Passion, 2026 and inspiration
Having gone through the past struggles she has with her body, Hendrickx especially appreciated persevering through the Olympic season, pushing to get herself to worlds – where she eventually landed on the podium.
It re-ignited a passion within her, too.
“I just think after being injured for a long time, I really realised how much I loved skating and I still love it,” she shared. “And that was the time I really wanted to go for it and I really wanted to work for it. I want to achieve anything that seems impossible and make it possible. And that's what I did.”
This season has also offered its challenges, even while the results have been strong on paper. After her first Grand Prix win in November, she earned historic results for Belgium at both December’s Grand Prix Final and the European Championships in January, but left each of those latter two events unsatisfied with her performance.
It’s offered another learning opportunity for her, this time in a new Olympic cycle... with 2026 looming in the distance.
“2026 will be so special for me because it's in Europe and hopefully family can come and watch me,” she said. “I really want to push myself and skate my best possible and just to enjoy my third Olympic Games.”
While Jorik has served as a particular influence, Loena Hendrickx is aware of the successes of Belgian athletes outside of her own family – and outside of figure skating. She looks to others to make that aforementioned impossible indeed possible.
“I really admire speedskater Bart Swings,” she said of the Beijing 2022 gold medallist. “All the medals he won, it's just amazing. It’s something I want to achieve as well.”