The athletes who had obtained a medal or an Olympic diploma at the Winter Games in Beijing were allowed to visit the royal couple. Swings, Desmet and Hendrickx also each brought someone from their training staff.
“This is a unique experience and it was really just nice to talk to them,” said figure skater Loena Hendrickx.
“They really knew what I had achieved there and they think the sport is very beautiful. That’s nice. The queen thought it was all very elegant. And difficult, she said: how do you do that?”
It was not Bart Swings’ first visit to the palace. “It was still special and fun. It was a pleasant chat with both of them. They asked cool questions.”
“They had also seen my match. It’s nice that they really follow the sport.”
