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Coach Arnaud Starck prepares Luxembourg’s top athlete Patrizia van der Weken for a competition.
Patrizia van der Weken will compete in the 100m semi-final at the Paris Olympics on Saturday evening at 7:59 pm. RTL spoke to coach Arnaud Starck about her chances of reaching the final.
Below is an excerpt from the interview in French.
Watch the 100m semi-final live tonight on RTL 2 and RTL.lu
Even a tiny mistake can make or break
Before the match, coach Arno Stark stressed that even the smallest mistake could be costly, but Stark believed Van der Veken had gained enough experience to “run it as smoothly and perfectly as possible” in the second semi-final.
However, Stark admitted that reaching the final was a challenge as the level of competition in the second semi-final was particularly high as the three medal favourites also made it to that semi-final.
Stark said that if Van der Veken had made the first or third semi-final, her chances of advancing would have been better. “But right now, it’s basically as difficult for her as the final,” Stark concluded.
“Nothing is impossible, but we need to be realistic”
To secure a place in the final, Patrizia van der Weken had to finish in the top two in her semifinals. A third or fourth place would keep her competitive as long as her other semifinalists were slower than her.
“Nothing is impossible, but we have to be realistic,” said her coach, who believes she has the potential to finish in the top five in the semifinals, which matches her current performance.
Factors such as wind conditions can also affect the race, but the coach encouraged Van der Weyken to focus on his performance and believe in his abilities.
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