Olivia Borlée facts for kids
Olivia Borlée at the 2009 World Championships
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Quick facts for kids Personal information |
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| Born | 10 April 1986 Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, Belgium |
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| Sport | Athletics | |||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | 200 metres | |||||||||||||||||||
| College team | Florida State University | |||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Olivia Borlée is a famous Belgian sprinter. She was born on April 10, 1986, in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, Belgium. Olivia was really good at short-distance running, especially the 200 metres. She also ran the 100 metres.
One of her biggest achievements was winning a gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. She won it in the 4x100 m relay race. Her teammates were Hanna Mariën, Élodie Ouédraogo, and Kim Gevaert. They set a new Belgian record with their time of 42.54 seconds.
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Olivia's Athletic Career
Olivia Borlée represented Belgium at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. She competed in the 4x100 metres relay race. Her team included Kim Gevaert, Hanna Mariën, and Élodie Ouédraogo.
In their first race, they finished first. They were faster than teams from Great Britain, Brazil, and Nigeria. Their time was 42.92 seconds, which was the third fastest among all the teams. This great result helped them qualify for the final race.
In the final, the Belgian team ran even faster, finishing in 42.54 seconds. They originally won the silver medal, coming in second place behind Russia. However, a Russian runner was later found to have used banned substances. Because of this, the Russian team was disqualified. This meant Olivia and her team were moved up to the gold medal position! Olivia officially received her gold medal eight years later, on September 10, 2016.
Olivia also represented Belgium at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. She competed in the 200 metres event. She finished seventh in her heat and did not move on to the semifinals. Olivia was chosen to be the flag bearer for Belgium during the opening ceremony. She stopped competing professionally after the Rio Olympics.
Fashion After Sports
After she stopped running professionally, Olivia Borlée started a new career. She teamed up with her Olympic teammate Élodie Ouédraogo. Together, they created a sportswear brand called 4254. The name "4254" comes from the amazing time they ran when they won their Olympic medal. Their brand focuses on making sportswear in a sustainable way. In 2018, their brand won the "Emerging Talent of the Year" award at the Belgian Fashion Awards.
The Borlée Family of Athletes
Olivia comes from a very athletic family! Her father, Jacques Borlée, was also a sprinter. He won a bronze medal in the 200 meters at the 1983 European Indoor Championships. Olivia's mother, Edith Demaertelaere, was also a good sprinter.
Six of Jacques's seven children are athletes. Olivia is the eldest daughter and an Olympic gold medalist. Her sister, Alizia, was also a good sprinter. Olivia also has four brothers who are all specialists in the 400 metres race. These brothers are the twins Jonathan Borlée and Kevin Borlée, Dylan Borlée, and the youngest, Rayane Borlée. Jonathan and Kevin even made it to the Olympic finals in London in 2012. Jacques's older brother, Jean-Pierre, was also a sprinter. It's truly a family of runners!
Olivia's Main Achievements
| Year | Competition | Venue | Rank | Event | Time | Notes |
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| 2007 | World Championships |  Osaka |
3rd | 4×100 m relay | 42.75 | NR |
| 2008 | Olympic Games |  Beijing |
1st | 4×100 m relay | 42.54 | NR |
| 2009 | European Team Championships (1st League) |  Bergen |
1st | 200 m | 23.82 |
See also
In Spanish: Olivia Borlée para niños
- Borlée family
