Brussels, Tuesday
The list of participants for the 48th Allianz Memorial Van Damme, the final of the Wanda Diamond League 2024, is just about complete and looks very impressive.
All athletes combined account for 101 medals at the past Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Never before has an athletics meeting been so well-attended.
This and numerous other special moments will make this two-day Memorial at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels this Friday and Saturday exceptional.
Of the 101 medals, 82 were won at the Olympics: 25 gold, 32 silver and 25 bronze.
In nine competitions, all Paris medal winners will be at the start.
The assembled field of competitors for the six Paralympic events at the Memorial brought back 19 medals from Paris: 10 gold, 7 silver and 2 bronze. Our compatriots Léa Bayekula (2 gold), Maxime Carabin (2 gold) and Peter Genyn (1 silver and 1 bronze) had a large share in that medal haul and will be at the King Baudouin Stadium next weekend. The full podium of the women's 100m T64 will also attend.
“The Olympic vibe of Paris was felt in our country all summer long,” said Meeting Director Kim Gevaert.
“The Memorial will provide spectators with that same great Olympic atmosphere for two nights. First and foremost, this is thanks to the incredibly strong field of competitors, brimming with Olympic champions and medallists. But also thanks to our Olympic and Paralympic parade on Friday: all Belgian Olympians and Paralympians, athletes from all disciplines, are invited to do a lap of honour of the King Baudouin Stadium. Nafi Thiam, Noor Vidts and Bashir Abdi will also be lauded.”
The fact that this year's Allianz Memorial Van Damme also doubles as the final of the Wanda Diamond League, the collection of biggest athletics meets in the world, makes it an even more impressive edition.
The programme features finals in 32 disciplines, spread over two days. 13 Belgians compete in a final, 11 others compete in one of the invitational events.
For example, an extra 400 metres event is scheduled on Friday evening, the last 400 metres of Kevin Borlée's career.
On Saturday night, he will be honoured along with his twin brother Jonathan who is also retiring.
Some 70,000 tickets have already been sold for both nights, breaking the Memorial’s own ticket sales record and all of the previous Wanda Diamond League finals.
11 reasons why this edition of the Allianz Memorial Van Damme is so exceptional:
- For the first time in history, the Memorial will be spread over 2 days covering all 32 disciplines
- Best-attended athletics meet in the world with athletes from all continents
- With (already) over 70.000 tickets sold over the two days, this year’s final in Brussels will break attendance records for the history of the Allianz Memorial Van Damme and the final of the Diamond League.
- Most Olympic medallists at the start ever
- Including the king & queen of athletics, Mondo and Sydney
- Highest prize money ever in Belgium
- Complete equality in all Diamond League disciplines between men and women and between the various disciplines, including prize money (equal prize money for female discus winner and male 100m winner)
- Very extensive paralympic programme featuring six disciplines and 20 paralympic medals
- Shortly after the Olympic and Paralympic Games and therefore continuing in the Olympic spirit, including the parade of all Belgian participants in Paris
- 50 million TV viewers worldwide and more than 1 billion social media impressions
- Offering unique moments such as watching the other queen of athletics Nafi Thiam being honoured by our king, farewell of a unique set of siblings the Borlée brothers, ceremony of all Diamond League champions, etc.
Olympic medal winners:
Men:
- 100 m: Fred Kerley
- 200 m: Letsile Tebogo - Kenny Bednarek
- 400 m: Matthew Hudson-Smith - Muzala Samukonga
- 800 m: Emmanuel Wanyonyi - Marco Arop - Djamel Sedjati
- 1500 m: Cole Hocker - Yared Nuguse
- 5000 m: Jakob Ingebrigtsen - Ronald Kwemoi
- 110 m H: Daniel Roberts
- 400 m H: Alison dos Santos
- 3000 m SC: Soufiane El Bakkali - Abraham Kibiwot
- 4 x 100m : Akani Simbine
- 4 × 400 m: Vernon Norwood - Bayapo Ndori - Busang Collen Kebinatshipi - Letsile Tebogo - Matthew Hudson-Smith
- High jump: Shelby McEwen
- Pole vault: Armand Duplantis - Sam Kendricks - Emmanouil Karalis
- Long jump: Miltiadis Tentoglou - Wayne Pinnock - Mattia Furlani
- Triple jump: Pedro Pichardo
- Shot put: Ryan Crouser - Joe Kovacs - Rajindra Campbell
- Discus throw: Mykolas Alekna - Matthew Denny
- Javelin throw: Neeraj Chopra - Anderson Peters
Women:
- 100 m: Julien Alfred - Sha'Carri Richardson
- 200 m: Julien Alfred - Brittany Brown
- 400 m: Marileidy Paulino - Salwa Eid Naser
- 800 m: Mary Moraa
- 1500 m: Faith Kipyegon - Jessica Hull - Georgia Bell
- 5000 m: Beatrice Chebet - Faith Kipyegon
- 10000 m: Beatrice Chebet
- 100 m H: Cyréna Samba-Mayela - Jasmine Camacho-Quinn
- 400 m H: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone - Anna Cockrell - Femke Bol
- 3000 m SC: Winfred Yavi - Peruth Chemutai - Faith Cherotich
- 4 × 100 m: Sha'Carri Richardson - Dina Asher-Smith - Daryll Neita
- 4 × 400 m: Shamier Little - Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone - Alexis Holmes - Lieke Klaver - Femke Bol
- High jump: Yaroslava Mahuchikh - Nicola Olyslagers - Eleanor Patterson - Iryna Herashchenko
- Pole vault: Nina Kennedy - Alysha Newman
- Long jump: Jasmine Moore
- Triple jump: Shanieka Ricketts - Jasmine Moore
- Shot put: Yemisi Ogunleye - Maddi Wesche - Song Jiayuan
- Discus throw: Valarie Allman - Feng Bin - Sandra Elkasević
- Javelin throw: Haruka Kitaguchi
Belgians:
Men – Diamond League:
- 400 m: Jonathan Sacoor
- 800 m: Eliott Crestan
- 1500 m: Jochem Vermeulen
- 5000 m: Isaac Kimeli
- 110 m H: Michael Obasuyi
- High jump: Thomas Carmoy
- Pole vault: Ben Broeders
- Discus throw: Phlip Milanov
- Javelin throw: Timothy Herman
Men - invitational:
- 100 m invitational: Kobe Vleminckx
- 100 m invitational: Simon Verherstraten
- 100 m invitational: Ibrahim Camara
- 100 m invitational: Antoine Snyders
- 400 m invitational: Dylan Borlée
- 400 m invitational: Kevin Borlée
- 400 m invitational: Daniel Segers
- 400 m invitational: Florent Mabille
Women – Diamond League:
- 100 m: Rani Rosius
- 1500 m: Elise Vanderelst
- 400 m H: Pauien Couckuyt
- Pole vault: Elien Vekemans
Women – invitational:
- 200m invitational: Delphine Nkansa
- 200m invitational: Rani Rosius
- 400m invitational: Hanne Claes
Paralympic medal winners:
- Léa Bayekula (BEL, 2x gold)
- Maxime Carabin (BEL, 2x gold)
- Peter Genyn (BEL, silver & bronze)
- Marlène Van Gansewinkel 3x
- Fleur Jong 2x
- Kimberly Alkemade 2x
- Cody Fournie 2x
- Timothée Adolphe 2x
- Aysel Önder
- Athanasios Ghavelas
(Allianz Memorial Van Damme)