After four long years, Eva Daniëls neared her best World Cup result in Beijing
Sometimes, there are finishes outside the podium that can taste sweeter than any medal. One such instance of this came at the Beijing World Cup a little over a week ago as Eva Daniëls of Luxembourg achieved a 6th place finish, her best result since placing 4th on her World Cup debut in Pontevedra all the way back in July 2022.
For Daniëls, it has been a long road back to this point, one that started almost as soon as she returned from the high of Pontevedra four summers ago.
“So, I had a bike accident in August 2022, and the doctors told me I had a concussion,” she recounted. “Nevertheless, I didn't really know what a concussion was or what impact it could have. After the accident, I followed the instructions and didn't train for one month to recover. But I didn't do any specific rehabilitation for my concussion, so I just rested for four weeks, and after that, I started training normally again.”
“However, from the end of 2022 until September 2023, I really didn't feel like myself. I had a lot of trouble with my balance, I had a lot of migraines, I slept a lot, and I didn't recover well. My whole body felt like it didn't belong to me anymore. I also isolated myself more and more and developed a lot of anxiety. In September/October 2023, I had a sort of depression; I was never officially diagnosed with depression, but I was diagnosed with anxiety. I couldn't bring myself to do anything. My body didn't react at all the way I wanted it to react. Sometimes I couldn't even go for a walk because my body simply told me no.”
“Until then, I didn't know that all of this was still related to my concussion. I just thought I was having some mental struggles.”
It was only when a distant friend, who herself had suffered a concussion, encouraged Daniëls to seek out the BrainCare Centre in Switzerland that she was able to tackle the root cause of her problems. “She told me that I was probably still suffering from my concussion and that it wasn't just a mental health issue.”
“When I finally did the tests, they found out that several of my brain functions were not working the way they were supposed to and that I was still suffering from severe concussion symptoms.”
“That was a defining moment for me because they told me that, with therapy, I could recover and start living a normal life again. Because it wasn't just my sport that wasn't working out anymore. I couldn't live my normal life because there were so many things I couldn't do anymore.”
Upon starting her concussion therapy at the BrainCare Centre in Zurich in October 2023, Daniëls put both triathlon and her studies on hold. “I couldn't continue either of them because my brain simply wouldn't allow me to,” she noted.
As a result, she missed the entirety of the 2024 season, including the final chunk of the Paris Olympic qualification window. After the window had started so promisingly with her World Cup debut coming after a WTCS personal best of 16th in Montreal, the final run-in to the Games passed Daniëls by as she spent seven months at the BrainCare Centre.
At first, she attended therapy sessions four to five times each week. That eventually dropped to three times weekly by the end of her stay. In that time she also took on a very different style of training, targeting “mainly balance, neck stability, eye movements, body alignment, and learning how to calm down my nervous system. I also got a lot of massages and neck/head treatments for my neck pain and headaches.”
“Actually, I had to start learning everything again. Slowly, I was able to go see friends again, take the train, and use an elevator without having severe balance problems. I could also slowly stop wearing my glasses because I was extremely sensitive to light and noise, which would immediately give me headaches. At one point, I think after about four months, I was able to do a 20-minute bike session again.”
“After ten months without swimming, running, or proper cycling training, I went swimming again for the first time. It was just 500 metres, but it was one of the most special moments for me because I realised how much I had missed training. I also realised that I was really starting to recover and that maybe one day it would be possible to train again and even race.”
Daniëls returned to full training sessions again in November 2024. She averaged around 12 hours a week, a far cry from the standard volumes elite triathletes are accustomed to, but nonetheless a major step forward. Sessions of greater intensity followed at the end of January 2025. “The big question was whether my body would react well to racing or whether I wouldn't be able to handle it.”
“Well, I raced again and the 2025 season went really, really well because I was just thankful to be able to do what I love.” After getting back into the groove of racing, Daniëls became Luxembourg national champion, clocked her best World Cup finish since Pontevedra, and matched her WTCS personal best by placing 16th in Karlovy Vary. And more was set to come. However, at the start of this season, she suffered a crash at the Torremolinos Europe Cup.
“Sadly, this year I had another setback in April 2026 in Torremolinos. Because of my history, I'm really sensitive to getting another concussion. So when I fell, I had to stop training again for three months. I continued doing my rehabilitation exercises, but again, no swimming, running, or cycling.”
Despite only getting back into training in July, Daniëls has already managed to take another step forward with her 6th place in Beijing.
“It has now taken me a little more than four years to return to that level. Therefore, this result is, for me, the definition of resilience, believing in my own abilities, and never giving up, no matter how many people told me to just quit and do something useful.”
There is little time to pause and catch her breath, though, for she will be tackling four more World Cups before the year is out, starting with this weekend’s race in San Pedro de la Paz. With a spring in her step after Beijing, Daniëls is champing at the bit to jump back in.
“I will approach the next races with quite a lot of confidence. The result in Beijing reminded me that I don't have to do anything extraordinary or special to perform well. I just have to trust my abilities, stick to what I know and do what I've trained for. For me, the biggest challenges will be managing the jet lag, the long journeys and the recovery between races. I know that the training is already done, so now it's mainly about maintaining my current form, recovering well and trying to stay healthy. Knowing this takes a lot of pressure off me because I don't have to improve anything at this point. I just have to focus on doing what I know I'm capable of.”
And as with every triathlete on the international circuit right now, it is hard to ignore the fact that maintaining her Beijing form could have major ramifications for her pursuit of a spot on the start line at LA 2028. “I know that if everything falls into place, I have a chance of qualifying individually.”
“I also believe that we have a chance of qualifying for the mixed relay. Every athlete in Luxembourg, including myself, is working towards this goal, and we are trying to make decisions together that could lead to a possible qualification.”
With WTCS gold medallist Jeanne Lehair and current European Junior champion Sebastian Ziekman among the crop of athletes hoping to help Luxembourg send a relay to Los Angeles, the prospect is certainly within reach.
Yet Daniëls also approaches the matter with a newfound perspective. One change she has noticed in herself over the past few years is the shift in how she relates to her triathlon performances. “The result doesn't define my worth anymore, like results did before my accident. It feels more like a part of my journey that tells me I made the right decisions by following my own path and believing in myself.”
“And now here I am. Still believing that I am capable of racing one day with the best in the world. But what made me continue is not the end results but more my love for this sport community. When I train it feels like being home. That I belong on the bike. And for racing it is the same thing: it's something that I really love and makes me feel complete.”
