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) | 400 m Hurdles | |||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Élodie Ouédraogo is a famous Belgian athlete who used to be a sprinter. She was born on February 27, 1981, in Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, Brussels, Belgium. Élodie is known for running fast in races like the 200 metres and the 400 m hurdles. She even won a gold medal at the Olympics!
Her fastest time in the 200 meters was 23.11 seconds. This amazing speed was achieved in July 2004 in Brussels. For the 400 meters hurdles, her best time was 55.20 seconds. She achieved this personal best at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Élodie is one of Belgium's fastest women in sprinting history.
Contents
Élodie Ouédraogo's Amazing Athletic Journey
Starting Out: Hurdles and Records
When Élodie first started her career, she focused on the 100 m hurdles race. She even competed in the World Junior Championships in 2000. For a while, she represented Burkina Faso, the country where her family came from.
While representing Burkina Faso, she set a national record of 13.87 seconds in the 100 m hurdles. Later, when competing for Belgium, her personal best in this race was 13.34 seconds. This was achieved in August 2003.
Big Competitions and Medals
Élodie has competed in many important events and won several medals. At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, she was part of the Belgian 4 × 100 metres relay team. They finished in sixth place. Her teammates were Katleen De Caluwé, Lien Huyghebaert, and Kim Gevaert.
In 2005, Élodie won a bronze medal at the 2005 Summer Universiade. This is a major sports event for university athletes. Then, at the 2007 World Championships, she won another bronze medal. This was for the 4 × 100 m relay race. Her teammates were Olivia Borlée, Hanna Mariën, and Kim Gevaert. Together, they set a new national record for Belgium!
Olympic Gold: A Dream Come True
Élodie Ouédraogo represented Belgium at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. She competed in the 4 × 100 metres relay again. Her team included Kim Gevaert, Hanna Mariën, and Olivia Borlée. In their first race, they finished first, showing how strong they were.
In the finals, the Belgian team initially finished in second place, winning a silver medal. They even set a new national record with a time of 42.54 seconds! However, years later, in 2016, tests showed that a runner from the Russian team had used illegal substances. Because of this, the Russian team was disqualified. This meant that the Belgian team's silver medal was upgraded to a gold medal! It was an amazing moment for Élodie and her teammates.
Final Races
Élodie also qualified for the semi-finals of the 400 m hurdles at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. This showed her continued strength in the sport.
Life After Running
Élodie Ouédraogo officially retired from athletics in 2012. Her very last event was the Memorial Van Damme competition. Outside of sports, Élodie is married to a cartoon artist named Jeroom. Her mother's name is Marie Blandine Sawadogo.
See also
In Spanish: Élodie Ouédraogo para niños
