16-year-old Emma Barthel, who recently competed at the Junior European Championships, will make her senior European debut in Paris after breaking a national record in the 200m individual medley in Munich. Her selection marks a significant milestone in her promising career and is a fitting reward for her strong performances in recent months.
Barthel told RTL that she is not at all worried about being one of the youngest competitors, adding that if she starts stressing, it will not work out. Instead, she will take each race as it comes, without putting pressure on herself, hoping that things will go well.
Barthel will be joined in the women's events by Lou Jominet.
In total, eight swimmers are set to represent Luxembourg at the European Championships, with timing that could play to the team's advantage.
National coach Christophe Audot notes that this year's extended championship calendar, stretching from August to August, offers unique opportunities and challenges. He explains that because the European Championships season runs almost the whole year, nearly 365 days, some swimmers can lose their way.
Nonetheless, it is a great opportunity for everyone, of which they must make the most, he says.
Among the men, Rémi Fabiani and Ralph Daleiden-Ciuferri stand out after strong performances at the national championships, underlining their competitive form ahead of the continental competition.
Daleiden-Ciuferri said that he has made great progress in the past two weeks, especially in his events, which is why he is feeling confident heading into Paris.
Fabiani, meanwhile, is already eyeing the future, declaring that his goal is to get as close as possible to the Olympic qualification times in Los Angeles 2028. He explains that even if he does not qualify yet, it would be good to know that he is getting close to those times.
Coach Audot has also registered a team for the 4x100m relay, a positive sign for Luxembourg's ambitions in Paris.
