The National Olympic Committee’s annual squad review thrives on the tension surrounding the promotion and relegation of Luxembourg’s athletes. The COSL also added new names to the elite squad for 2026: not only the national basketball (women) and table tennis (men) teams are there. With Fanny Arendt, Mathis Espagnet (both athletics), David Lang (triathlon), Jérôme Pauquet (badminton), Chris Rodesch (tennis) and Mara Strzykala (weightlifting), six athletes were promoted from the promotion squad.
Triathlete Lucas Cambresy even made it straight into the elite class, while judoka Claudio Nunes dos Santos is celebrating a somewhat surprising comeback after a year of abstinence. And with Sabine Kusterer there is even a fairly unknown face at the top. The coach and partner of Strzykala competed for Germany at two Olympic Games (2016 in Rio and 2021 in Tokyo) and had actually ended her career. Now the 35-year-old is making a new attempt as a newly minted Luxembourger.
His final in Tokyo was a cakewalk for Luxembourg sport.
Raymond Conzemius
about Charel Grethen
But the newcomers received even more applause than the newcomers at the presentation on Thursday afternoon in the premises of the Banque Internationale à Luxembourg in Hollerich. Seven Olympic participants were eliminated from the COSL rush squad this year. “He is one of our absolute top archers with a very long career,” says Laurent Carnol, COSL deputy technical director, about Jeff Henckels.
The 41-year-old managed to take part in the Olympics three times and miss one edition each time, said Carnol. The recurve shooter competed in Athens in 2004, London in 2012 and Tokyo in 2021. Now Henckels ended his career. “Actually, it would have been his turn again in Los Angeles in 2028,” says Carnol – and gets a few laughs in the room. “Maybe he’ll reconsider.”
Memorable Summer Games in Tokyo
Charel Grethen competed twice at the Summer Games (2016 in Rio and 2021 in Tokyo). COSL director Raymond Conzemius praised the career of the middle-distance runner, who completed his last race as a professional athlete in the Bahnhofsviertel at the end of September: “Charel’s final in Tokyo was a cakewalk for Luxembourg sport. He has been a member of a squad without interruption since 2010.” At the 2021 Covid Games, Grethen made national sports history and came twelfth in the 1,500 m.
Cyclist Michel Ries and triathlete Stefan Zachäus also made their first and only Olympic participation in the Japanese capital. At his appearance in Tokyo, Zacchaeus impressed with a courageous race, which he even led for several kilometers on the bike. In the end, it was enough for 44th place. After a long-distance excursion and a world-class performance at the Ironman in Roth, the 35-year-old ended his career.
At just 27 years old, Ries put an end to his career as a professional cyclist in January. The six-time Grand Tour participant (Vuelta 2020, 2023, 2024; Giro 2023, 2024, 2025) was able to experience the Olympic road race in Japan’s capital in 2021. “Michel achieved very interesting results, especially at a young age,” says Carnol. Among other things, Ries duel with today’s exceptional rider Tadec Pogacar at the Tour de l’Avenir.
The new sports year promises everything – just not boredom
The members of the elite squad
Fanny Arendt (athletics/N)
Jeff Bauer (Skeleton)*
Vera Bertemes-Hoffmann (athletics)
Nina Berton (cycling)
Victor Bettendorf (riding)
Lucas Cambresy (Triathlon/N)
Ralph Daleiden (swimming)
Eva Daniëls (Triathlon)
Sarah De Nutte (table tennis)
Mathis Espagnet (athletics/N)
Rémi Fabiani (Swimmen)
Kevin Niets (Radsport)
Flavio Giannotte (fencing)
Bob Jungels (Cycling)
Finn Kemp (swimming)
Alex Kirsch (cycling)
Sabine Kusterer (weightlifting/N)
David Lang (Triathlon/N)
Chris Leesch (motorcycling)
Jeanne Lehair (Triathlon)
Luka Mladenovic (table tennis)
Celeste Mordenti (artistic gymnastics)
Grégoire Munster (Autosport)
Peter Murphy (Shorttrack)*
Ni Xia Lian (table tennis)
Claudio Nunes dos Santos (Judo/N)
Matthieu Osch (Ski Alpin)*
Jérôme Pauquet (Badminton/N)
Gregor Payet (Triathlon)
Ruben Querinjean (athletics)
Victoria Rausch (athletics)
Chris Rodesch (Tennis/N)
Marie Schiltz (riding)
Kim Schmidt (Badminton)
Marie Schreiber (Cyclocross)*
Gilles Seywert (archery)
Fie Christine Skarsoe (riding)
Lyndon Sosa (shooting)
Gwyneth ten Raa (Ski Alpin)*
Mara Strzykala (weightlifting/N)
Ankie Timmers (Powerlifting)
Patrizia van der Weken (athletics)
Nicolas Wagner-Ehlinger (Equestrian)
Jenny Warling (Karate)
Teams
Davis Cup team (tennis)
Women’s doubles Ni/De Nutte (table tennis)
Mixed Ni/Mladenovic (table tennis)
Women’s national team (table tennis)
Men’s National Team (Table Tennis)
Women’s National Team (Basketball/N)
N = new admission
* = Winter sports, revised in May
The members of the promotion squad
Maud Allar (swimming)
Jérôme Ansel (archery)
Flavio Astolfi (Cycling/N)
Marie Baertz (Golf)
Emma Barthel (Swimming/N)
Lena Bidoli (shooting)
Quentin Brandenburger (artistic gymnastics)
Joao Carneiro (Swimming/N)
Albert Chaussard (swimming/N)
Hervé Colling (Fencing/N)
Coulibaly Rescue (Taekwondo)
Alexander Davies (Karate)
Daria Demchykhina (Badminton/N)
Daphne Dubois (climbing)
Anton Fedoseev (swimming/N)
Jill Felten (Badminton/N)
Yannick Feltes (Badminton)
David Friederich (athletics)
Uyana Granger (Athletics/N)
Victor Henz (athletics)
Joachim Keghian (Alpine Skiing)*
Alexandre Kess (cycling)
Chester Kieffer (Autosport/N)
Luca Klein (shooting)
Arthur Kluckers (cycling)
Mathieu Kockelmann (cycling)
Linda Krombach (Triathlon)
Glenn Lassine (track and field)
Nicolaj Lindfors (Alpine Skiing)*
Elena Lopes (Radsport/N)
Benik Melkumian (Boxen/N)
Mil Morang (cycling)
Charles Munster (Autosport)
Gwen Nothum (Cycling)
Damien Pechon (athletics/N)
Kenza Pop (archery)
Yaara Puraye (Leichathletic)
Stefan Rojas (Golf)
Elisenda Ruiz-Kaiser (Squash)
Enisa Sadikovic (table tennis)
Aaron Sahr (table tennis)
Amir Samimi (Squash)
Lenn Schmitz (Cycling/N)
Lola Slavazza (climbing)
Sofia Snäll (athletics/N)
Carla Tavarez (Judo/N)
Jory Teixeira (athletics)
Joyce ten Raa (Ski Alpin)*
Filip Todorovic (Karate)
Lea Tonus (archery)
Maël van Dessel (Tischtennis)
Arno Wallenborn (cycling)
David Wallig (athletics)
Gene Wantz (table tennis)
Marie Weckerle (tennis)
Gil Weicherding (athletics)
Micha Welter (Judo)
Leni Welter (Judo/N)
Mats Wenzel (cycling)
Philippe Weyland (Swimming/N)
Nicolas Winandy (Golf)
Anna Zens (fencing)
Sebastian Ziekman (Triathlon/N)
N = new admission
* = Winter sports, revised in May
Individual development measure
Anne Simon (Basketball)
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