After two editions relocated respectively to Ghent (2022) and Bruges (2023), the Belgian championships are making their big return to Brussels this Saturday and Sunday. The King Baudouin Stadium is preparing to welcome, one month before the Paris Olympic Games, some of the finest jewels of our athletics.
Of course, some big names, already qualified for the high mass in August, will be missing. Nafi Thiam, Cynthia Bolingo, Alexander Doom, Eliott Crestan and Thomas Carmoy thus renounced their participation in order to prioritize their Olympic preparation.
But further qualification for the Games remains possible until Sunday evening and some thrilling duels are on the programme. We have selected five of them.
100 m: Verherstraeten against Vleminckx
Last Saturday in Geneva, Simon Verherstaeten achieved the second Belgian performance in history in the 100m in 10.10, eight hundredths of a second off the old Belgian record of Ronald Desruelles (1985). The 25-year-old from Campine was the first to be surprised and, suddenly in the spotlight, he wants to quickly demonstrate that his progress is no accident.
A new era opens for Belgian sprinting with Simon Verherstraeten: “He can one day run under 10 seconds over 100 m”
To seize a first national title, he will however have to deliver a serious battle to Kobe Vleminckx (10.29), who remains on five consecutive victories at the National and will want to provide his answer to the time set by Verherstraeten a few days earlier.
A duel refereed by Liège’s Antoine Snyders and which already recalls the Stevens – Wijmeersch years, or even the more friendly rivalry (given that the protagonists train together within the same club) between Anthony Ferro and Nathan Bongelo, the former companions of the Forestoise.
100m: Rosius against Nkansa
Like Verherstraeten and Vleminckx with the Belgian Falcons, Rani Rosius and Delphine Nkansa are part of the national 4x100m relay, the Belgian Rockets. Respectively second and third best Belgian performers in history over 100m, with 11.18 for the Limbourgeoise and 11.21 for the sprinter from Sambreville, Rosius and Nkansa shared the last four titles at stake.
But Rani, triple winner from 2020 to 2022, was unable to defend her chances last year in Bruges, leaving Delphine to take the wind (+ 5.2 m/s) in the final to win in… 11.03!
Belgian Championships – Delphine Nkansa wins in Bruges in 11.03 (+5.2 m/s): “It was like an overspeed session”
Could Kim Gevaert’s Belgian record (11.04) fall this weekend? It still seems a little early given the last rather average outings of our two sprinters, but they are within a hundredth this year (11.20 against 11.21), which will certainly be worth a nice explanation.
400 m : Borlée against Vanderbemden
A key event in the national championships, given the level reached over the past fifteen years by our track specialists trained in the dynamics of the Belgian Tornados, the men’s 400m will be marked, in principle, by the return to business of the Borlée twins (for the series only?).
In the absence of the three-time defending champion, the new European champion Alexander Doom, and the new Belgian sprinter under 45 seconds Jonathan Sacoor (who is lining up in the 200m), the final looks set to be fairly open.
It should bring into competition the numbers 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the 2024 season, namely Dylan Borlée (45.37), Robin Vanderbemden (45.51), Florent Mabille (45.83) and Christian Iguacel (46.19). As many sprinters as we could find in the 4x400m relay at the Olympic Games.
In the women’s category, where the density will be lower, it is Helena Ponette and Camille Laus who should play the leading roles.
110m hurdles: Obasuyi vs Bacari
One has already qualified for the Paris Games, the other should soon see his selection ratified with or without a minimum (13.27). Between Michael Obasuyi and Elie Bacari, as in the men’s 100m, it is also a question of competition and friendship. But here, in the hurdles, we go up a notch higher: we do not hesitate to tease each other on social networks, we keep track of the duels won and we look forward to the reunions to come.
It’s fresh, it’s nice, and if for the moment the new captain is called Obasuyi, who shattered Jonathan Nsenga’s Belgian record this year (13.20), we are curious to see how long will put the talented Bacari to rise to his level.
Elie Bacari sets a new personal best in the 110m hurdles in Turku (13.38) and gets closer to the Olympics
Le Louvaniste (13.38), 100% over hurdles since the start of the season, is already the fourth Belgian performer in history and does not intend to stop there.
400m hurdles: Claes against Couckuyt
For her last season on the slopes, Hanne Claes can hope to win a fourth national title in the 400m hurdles after those won in 2018, 2019 and 2021. A success would also confirm a rise in power towards the Olympic Games where she will in all probability find likelihood Paulien Couckuyt, the most serious rival of the Belgian record holder (54.33) on the road to a new title.
She established the two best times of the year in this event which Naomi Van den Broeck also happily discovered. This other member of the Belgian Cheetahs rose to third national rank (55.40) and will tackle the minimum of 54.85, after that already reached over 400 m. A healthy ambition that will perhaps benefit everyone!
