Kim Gevaert facts for kids

Gevaert in 2008
Quick facts for kids Personal information
Born	5 August 1978 (1978-08-05) (age 47) Leuven, Belgium
Height	170 cm
Weight	60 kg
Spouse(s)	Djeke Mambo
Sport
Club	V. A. C. Steenokkerzeel CA Valencia Terra i Mar
Coached by	Rudi Diels
Retired	2008
Achievements and titles
Olympic finals	2004, 2008
Personal best(s)	100 m – 11.04 (2006) 200 m – 22.20 (2006)
Medal record Representing  Belgium Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 1 0 0 World Championships 0 0 1 World Indoor Championships 0 1 1 European Championships 2 2 0 European Indoor Championships 3 0 0 Continental Cup 0 1 0 Universiade 1 1 0 Total 7 5 2 Olympic Games Gold 2008 Beijing 4 × 100 m relay World Championships Bronze 2007 Osaka 4 × 100 m relay World Indoor Championships Silver 2004 Budapest 60 m Bronze 2006 Moscow 60 m European Championships Gold 2006 Gothenburg 100 m Gold 2006 Gothenburg 200 m Silver 2002 Munich 100 m Silver 2002 Munich 200 m European Indoor Championships Gold 2002 Vienna 60 m Gold 2005 Madrid 60 m Gold 2007 Birmingham 60 m Summer Universiade Gold 1999 Mallorca 200 m Silver 2001 Beijing 200 m Continental Cup Silver 2006 Athens 200 m

Kim Gevaert is a famous former sprinter from Belgium. She was born on August 5, 1978, in Leuven. Kim is an Olympic champion who achieved many great things in her running career.

Kim Gevaert's Running Career

Kim Gevaert was a very fast runner. She competed in many big races around the world.

Early World Championships

In 2004, Kim almost won a world title. She finished very close behind Gail Devers at the 2004 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics. In 2006, at the next World Indoor Championships, she won a bronze medal. She set a new Belgian record for the 60-meter race.

European Championship Success

Kim had a fantastic year in 2006. On August 9, she won the 100 metres race at the 2006 European Athletics Championships. Just two days later, she also won the 200 metres final. This was a huge achievement! She was the first Belgian woman to win a gold medal at the European Championships in 35 years. She was also the first woman since 1994 to win both the 100m and 200m sprint races at the same event.

World Championships and Olympic Dreams

At the 2007 World Championships in Athletics, Kim won a bronze medal. This was for the 4 × 100 metres relay race. She ran with her teammates Hanna Mariën, Olivia Borlée, and Élodie Ouédraogo. Their team set a new Belgian record with a time of 42.75 seconds. Kim also finished 5th in the 100m final, making her the best European athlete in that race.

Retirement and Olympic Gold

Kim Gevaert decided to retire from running at the end of the 2008 season. She announced this on her 30th birthday, just before the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

At the 2008 Olympics, Kim was in amazing shape. She made it to the semifinals of the 100m race. However, she didn't make it to the finals. A few days later, she ran the last part of the 4 × 100m relay for Belgium. Her team finished second, winning a silver medal and setting a new Belgian record of 42.54 seconds.

Years later, in 2016, something amazing happened. The team that won gold in that relay race was disqualified. This was because one of their runners had used illegal substances. This meant that Kim Gevaert and her Belgian teammates were officially awarded the gold medal! They received their gold medals eight years after the race.

Kim Gevaert ran her very last race on September 5, 2008. It was the 100m race at the Memorial Van Damme in Brussels. She won that race, ending her career on a high note.

Kim Gevaert during the 2008 Night of Athletics

Kim Gevaert's Personal Life

Kim Gevaert has two brothers, Marlon and John, and a sister named Sigrid. Her brother Marlon was also a sprinter in Belgium.

In 2010, Kim married her long-time partner, Djeke Mambo, who is also an athlete. They have two sons and one daughter. Their children speak two languages because their father's main language is French and their mother's is Flemish.

Awards and Recognitions

Kim Gevaert received many awards for her amazing career:

• Golden Spike - Best female athlete: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007
• Vlaamse Reus: 2002, 2004, 2007
• Flemish Sportsjewel: 2002
• Honorary Citizen of Kampenhout: 2002
• Belgian Sports Personality of the Year: 2004
• Belgian Sports team of the Year: Women's 4 × 100 metres relay: 2004, 2007, 2008
• Golden Medal of Honor of the Flemish Parliament: 2005
• Belgian National Sports Merit Award: 2006 (with Tia Hellebaut)
• Flemish Sportsjewel: 2007 (Women's 4 × 100 metres relay team)
• Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee Order of Merit: 2021
• Belgian National Sports Merit Award: 2007 (Women's 4 × 100 metres relay team)
• Honorary Citizen of Steenokkerzeel: 2006
• Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown, by Royal Decree of H.M. King Albert II: 2009
• Honorary Citizen of Sint-Genesius-Rode: 2017

Major Achievements in Athletics

Kim Gevaert won many medals and set records throughout her career. Here are some of her biggest achievements:

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
Representing  Belgium
1996	World Junior Championships	Sydney, Australia	100 m	10th (sf)	11.74
			200 m	7th	23.88 (wind: -2.2 m/s)
1999	European U23 Championships	Gothenburg, Sweden	100 m	3rd	11.39 (wind: -0.2 m/s)
			200 m	5th	23.08 (wind: -0.5 m/s)
2002	European Indoor Championship	Vienna, Austria	60 m	1st	7.16
	European Championships	Munich, Germany	100 m	2nd	11.22
			200 m	2nd	22.53
2003	1st IAAF World Athletics Final	Monte Carlo, Monaco	200 m	4th	22.95
2004	World Indoor Championships	Budapest, Hungary	60 m	2nd	7.12 NR
	Olympic Games	Athens, Greece	200 m	6th	22.84
2005	European Indoor Championships	Madrid, Spain	60 m	1st	7.16
2006	World Indoor Championships	Moscow, Russia	60 m	3rd	7.11 NR
	European Championships	Gothenburg, Sweden	100 m	1st	11.06 (First Belgian woman to win a gold medal in this event.)
			200 m	1st	22.68
2007	European Indoor Championship	Birmingham, England	60 m	1st	7.12 (7.10 in the semi-final NR)
	World Championships	Osaka, Japan	100 m	5th	11.05 (First European woman)
			4 × 100 m	3rd	42.75 NR
2008	Olympic Games	Beijing Olympic Stadium, Beijing, China	4 × 100 m	1st	42.54 NR
	Memorial Van Damme	Brussels, Belgium	100 m	1st	11.25 (last event before her retirement)

Kim Gevaert's Best Times

Kim Gevaert set several personal bests and Belgian records during her career:

• 60 metres: 7.10 seconds (This is a Belgian Record!)
• 100 metres: 11.04 seconds (Set in Brussels on July 9, 2006, also a Belgian Record!)
• 200 metres: 22.20 seconds (Set in Brussels on July 9, 2006, another Belgian Record!)
• 400 metres: 51.45 seconds (Set in Gent on May 8, 2005, also a Belgian Record!)

See also

In Spanish: Kim Gevaert para niños