RTL Today – 86 medals in total: Luxembourg celebrates strong showing at Small States Games in Andorra

The officials of the Luxembourg Olympic Committee (COSL) have expressed great satisfaction with the country’s performance at this year’s Games of the Small States of Europe. “Our expectations were met, and even exceeded in some disciplines”, said delegation head Laurent Carnol in an interview with RTL following Saturday afternoon’s final press conference.

Reflecting on the team’s strong showing, the former Olympic swimmer highlighted a particularly proud achievement: “We won medals in every sport.” For Carnol, the Games proved that Luxembourg can compete with the strongest nations at this level, such as Cyprus and Iceland. He stated that the team finished second in the medal standings, and that the goal now “must be to top the table, by 2029 at the latest”.

He stressed the importance of drawing lessons from this edition and continuing to build on the momentum. The COSL was especially pleased with results from the final day of competition, which Carnol called a “super day”, particularly in cycling, athletics, and volleyball.

Carnol reaffirmed the Games’ significance for COSL, both as a competitive milestone and as a powerful motivator for Luxembourg’s athletes. “In cycling, we medaled in every discipline. Volleyball was a very pleasant surprise. We took medals in all table tennis events, and in tennis, we reached every final”, said Carnol, clearly delighted with the overall performance.
 
The unity within “Team Luxembourg” and the enthusiastic support from Luxembourgish fans were also cited as key contributors to the country’s success.

COSL was particularly proud of the five athletes headed to the Paris Olympics who took part in the Games, including karateka Jenny Warling, whom Carnol described as a role model for younger athletes. “Alex Kirsch really stepped up as a leader, both for his team and within the delegation,” he added, referring to the Luxembourgish cyclist.

Logistical and organisational issues

The last-minute changes to schedules and regulations were seen as unfortunate by the COSL. “Some athletes went to bed in the evening without knowing what time their competition would take place the next day. That simply shouldn’t happen”, said the head of the Luxembourg delegation.

Organising an event of this scale is a major challenge for small countries – especially for a nation like Andorra, with barely over 80,000 inhabitants. “The organising committee isn’t very large either”, he noted.

As for the sports infrastructure, the COSL was largely satisfied, even if the standards differ from what is typical in Luxembourg. The delegation head also saw a positive side to the more modest facilities: they were consistently well attended and helped create a lively, welcoming atmosphere.

Transport was another topic addressed. The COSL had brought a number of vehicles to the event, including some from the Luxembourg Cycling Federation. This proved to be very useful, as the team had to quickly reorganise logistics during the first few days. Having their own vehicles made things significantly easier and allowed athletes to reach the various competition venues efficiently.

The COSL plans to carry out a more in-depth analysis of the 2025 Games of the Small States of Europe in the coming months.

Watch the full report in Luxembourgish