Triumph and Doubt: Lara De Liedekerke Defends Mondial du Lion

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents Triumph and Doubt: Lara De Liedekerke Defends Mondial du Lion.

She defended the title – and continues to wrestle with herself. Lara De Liedekerke won the Mondial du Lion on Sunday, October 18, 2026, with the horse Tara Van Het Leliehof, completing a "doublé sensationnel," as the source Ouest-France writes. What sounds like a clear victory announcement is in truth the story of an athlete who cannot believe her own success.

For already after her first triumph at the Six-Year-Old World Championship in 2025, the Belgian had spoken openly about doubts and sleepless nights. A year later, after the next title, her diagnosis is even clearer – "Rebelote," as the source notes: the same picture, just with a new date.

The Voices That Won't Fall Silent

The Belgian distills her inner conflict into a striking formula, which serves the source as its headline:

J'ai ces voix qui me disent, tu te prends pour qui ?

Translation: "I hear these voices that tell me: Who do you think you are?" What she describes is a taboo in elite sport. Anyone who speaks about mental crises after winning a title risks being perceived as weak. De Liedekerke breaks this unspoken rule – right after her second Mondial du Lion victory.

Imposter Syndrome Despite Exceptional Achievement

According to Ouest-France, the Belgian speaks openly about imposter syndrome and about the fears that accompany her at every tournament. She herself says it's complicated inside her head. Between humility on one side and a "parcours cabossé" – a life path marked by setbacks – on the other, moves an athlete whose public words are rare and precious.

The consistency of her athletic performance and the consistency of her self-doubt run in parallel. What has changed is her willingness to disclose both.

A Rare Voice That Deserves to Be Heard

Ouest-France characterizes the Belgian's words as "rare et précieuse" – rare and precious. That is more than literary praise: it is the recognition of a rider working in a discipline where vulnerability is rarely shown.

Her renewed title at the Mondial du Lion is therefore more than a result note. It shows that elite sport and the admission of inner struggles do not have to be mutually exclusive. For the Belgian, Tara Van Het Leliehof remains the sporting tool – the mental work behind it has now become part of her public work.