Élodie Ouédraogo facts for kids
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 27 February 1981 Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, Brussels, Belgium |
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| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 61 kg (134 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | 400m Hurdles | |||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Élodie Ouédraogo, born on February 27, 1981, in Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, Belgium, is a famous retired Belgian sprinter. Her family comes from Burkina Faso. She was a top athlete in races like the 200 metres and the 400 m hurdles.
Élodie is an Olympic gold medalist! She ran her fastest 200 m race in 23.11 seconds in 2004. Her best time in the 400 m hurdles was 55.20 seconds, which she achieved at the 2012 Summer Olympics. She is one of the fastest Belgian women in sprinting history.
Contents
Élodie's Athletic Journey
Élodie Ouédraogo started her career focusing on the 100 m hurdles. She even competed in the World Junior Championships in 2000.
At first, she represented Burkina Faso, setting a national record of 13.87 seconds in the 100 m hurdles. After 2000, she began competing for Belgium. Her personal best for Belgium in this event was 13.34 seconds.
Olympic and World Championship Success
Élodie was part of the Belgian team at the 2004 Summer Olympics. She competed in the 4 x 100 metres relay race. Her teammates were Katleen De Caluwé, Lien Huyghebaert, and Kim Gevaert. They finished in sixth place.
In 2005, Élodie won a bronze medal at the 2005 Summer Universiade. This was a big achievement for her.
At the 2007 World Championships, Élodie won another bronze medal. This was for the 4x100 m relay race. Her teammates were Olivia Borlée, Hanna Mariën, and Kim Gevaert. They even set a new national record for Belgium!
Winning Olympic Gold
Élodie Ouédraogo represented Belgium at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. She competed in the 4 x 100 m relay again. Her team included Gevaert, Mariën, and Borlée.
In their first race, they came in first place. Their time was 42.92 seconds, which was one of the fastest times overall. In the final race, they finished second, setting another national record of 42.54 seconds.
Later, the team that won gold was disqualified. This was because one of their athletes had used illegal substances. Because of this, Élodie and her Belgian teammates were awarded the gold medal! It was a truly special moment for them.
Élodie also qualified for the semi-finals of the 400 m hurdles at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Life After Athletics
Élodie Ouédraogo retired from professional athletics in 2012. Her very last event was the Memorial Van Damme competition.
She is married to a cartoon artist named Jeroom. Her mother's name is Marie Blandine Sawadogo.
See also
In Spanish: Élodie Ouédraogo para niños
