Belgium’s premier athletics event, the Memorial Van Damme, returns this Friday at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, bringing together the sport’s major competitors in what promises to be a star-studded evening.
The Memorial Van Damme is an athletics meetings of the highest level which is part of the prestigious Diamond League since 2010, an annual series of athletics competitions taking place in 14 cities around the world.
The Brussels competition was named after the Belgian athlete Ivo Van Damme who died tragically in 1976. Earlier that year, he had won the silver medal at the Montreal Olympics in both the 800m and the 1500m. The first Memorial took place in 1977 and quickly achieved international recognition.
On Friday, the competition will hold its 49th edition, welcoming eight Paris Olympics champions including Belgium’s own Nafissatou Thiam, who will compete in the long jump. The triple Olympic gold medallist (heptathlon) is making only her sixth appearance of the season, having missed last year’s edition of the event.
Typically held immediately after a major championship, this year’s Mémorial takes place ahead of the World Championships in Tokyo (13–21 September). Significantly, it comes just two days before the end of the qualification period.
This offers athletes – including over 30 Belgian competitors – a crucial opportunity to secure their spots in Tokyo, either by achieving qualifying marks or improving their world rankings.
Organisers are saying at this year will therefore be a "classic" Memorial, with 14 WDL disciplines on the programme.
For the men, the 200m, 400m, 1500m, 3000m steeplechase, high jump, discus throw and javelin throw are on the menu. The women will run the 100m, 1500m, 5000m and 400m hurdles in Brussels and will compete in pole vaulting, triple jump and shot put.
The women’s 100m (20:45) is set to be one of the evening’s highlights. Americans Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and St Lucian Olympic champion Julien Alfred – the two fastest women of the year – will face off, alongside Jamaican sprint legend Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and US athlete Sha’Carri Richardson, who is the reigning World Champion in the 100 metres.
Like Jefferson-Wooden, Richardson has a personal best of 10.65 to her name. At the Paris Games, Richardson won silver in the 100 metres and, like Jefferson-Wooden, was part of the American gold medal-winning relay team. Belgians Rani Rosius and Delphine Nkansa will be in the mix as well.
Belgium's Kobe Vleminckx will line up in the men’s 200m (20:22) with a high-calibre field, including Americans Christian Coleman and Robert Gregory, as well as Dominican sprinter Alexander Ogando.
In the 400m Diamond League event (21:41), Belgium will be represented by Alexander Doom and Daniel Segers, the nation’s top performers this season. An additional invitational 400m race at 19:15 will showcase six Belgian relay hopefuls for Tokyo: Dylan Borlée, Jonathan Sacoor, Robin Vanderbemden, Florent Mabille, Christian Iguacel, and Julien Watrin.
Similarly, the women’s 4x400m national relay candidates will compete in their own event at 19:20, including Helena Ponette, Imke Vervaet, Liefde Schoemaker, Messalina Pieroni, Ilana Hanssens, and Manon De Marez.
The evening also promises world record attempts. Kenya’s Agnes Jebet Ngetich aims to surpass compatriot Beatrice Chebet’s 5000m record of 13:48.56, set in Eugene this July. Meanwhile, Bahrain’s Olympic steeplechase champion Winfred Yavi will target the newly introduced “steeple mile” record (21:26).
Field events will feature several reigning Paris Olympic champions, including Germany’s Yemisi Ogunleye (shot put), the Dominican Republic’s Thea LaFond (triple jump), Jamaica’s Rojé Stona (discus), and New Zealand’s Hamish Kerr (high jump).
In the high jump, reigning world and European championm (as well as former Olympic champion) Gianmarco Tamberi will be bringing his usual passion. Last year, Tamberi won the WDL high jump final in Brussels, which led to incredible scenes of joy.
Closing the event at 21:52, the crowd will be treated to a debut showcase of the 4x100m mixed relay. This new format, first introduced at this year’s World Relays in Guangzhou, adds an exciting twist to the programme.
The evening ends again with a spectacular laser and light show.
Belga News Agency contributed to this report.
