The title is a great honor since, as the athlete puts it, the French nationals are of a different caliber: To be able to take part in the “Championnats de France élite”, you not only have to compete in the “départemental” and regional qualifiers but also reach specific minima. Strzykala went through all the qualification competitions, ultimately stepping on the national stage without necessarily aiming for new personal records. Since the preparation was not tailored to the championships, both national coach Sabine Kusterer and Strasbourg coach Christian Christophel opted for a safe-but-secure strategy, by giving her direct concurrent Thierry, who holds multiple French champion titles, a head start at every attempt and adding a kilogram to the bar in order to keep the lead.
In the end, Strzykala managed to win with an impressive total of 153 kg. The European and World championships participant was all praise for the French competition, which she described as excellently organized, as well as for her Strasbourg’s relentless support.
Another milestone for both the Luxembourgish federation and the Strasbourg team was set.