Erik Wijmeersch (born 23 January 1970) is a

Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct language ...

former

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...

athlete who competed in

sprint Sprint may refer to: Aerospace *Spring WS202 Sprint, a Canadian aircraft design *Sprint (missile), an anti-ballistic missile Automotive and motorcycle *Alfa Romeo Sprint, automobile produced by Alfa Romeo between 1976 and 1989 *Chevrolet Sprint, ...

ing events. His greatest success was a gold medal in the

200 metres The 200 metres, or 200-meter dash, is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 metre racetrack, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques is needed to successfully run the race. A slightl ...

at the

European Athletics Indoor Championships The European Athletics Indoor Championships is a biennial indoor track and field competition for European athletes that is organised by the European Athletic Association. It was held for the first time in 1970, replacing the European Indoor Games, ...

in 1996. His best time of 20.66 remains the Belgian indoor record for the event. He also holds bests of 10.17 seconds for the

100 metres The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been conteste ...

and 6.69 seconds for the indoor

60 metres 60 metres, or 60-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field. It is a championship event for indoor championships, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At outdoor venues it is a rare distance, at least for senior at ...

. He represented his country at the

1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

and competed for Belgium at four consecutive

World Championships in Athletics The World Athletics Championships (until 2019 known as the World Championships in Athletics) are a biennial athletics competition organized by World Athletics (formerly IAAF, International Association of Athletics Federations). Alongside the Ol ...

from 1995 to 2001. He helped set a 4×100 metres relay national record on his final appearance at that competition. He was a four-time participant at the

IAAF World Indoor Championships The World Athletics Indoor Championships are a biennial indoor track and field competition served as the global championship for that version of the sport. Organised by the World Athletics, the competition was inaugurated as the ''World Indoor G ...

and a four-time medallist at the lower league

European Cup The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...

meetings. He won 19 national titles in sprint events, combining indoor and outdoors. After his retirement, he admitted to doping during his career in his autobiography. However, his performances were not annulled as he did not fail any drug tests over that period.

Career

Early career

Born in

Sint-Niklaas Sint-Niklaas (; french: Saint-Nicolas, ) is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Sint-Niklaas proper and the towns of Belsele, Nieuwkerken-Waas, and . Sint-Nikl ...

East Flanders , native_name_lang = , settlement_type = Province of Belgium , image_flag = Flag of Oost-Vlaanderen.svg , flag_size = , image_shield = Wapen van O ...

,Erik Wijmeersch
Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-10-27. He made his first impact at national level in 1992 when he won the Belgian indoor title in the

as well as the outdoor under-23 title in the distance. He retained his indoor title in 1993 and won his first national title at the

Belgian Athletics Championships The Belgian Athletics Championships ( nl, Belgische kampioenschappen atletiek; french: Championnats de Belgique d'athlétisme) is an annual outdoor track and field competition organised by the Royal Belgian Athletics League, which serves as the nat ...

in 1995 with a personal best of 20.80 seconds.

European champion and Olympic debut

Wijmeersch made his international debut at the

1995 IAAF World Indoor Championships File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...

, making it to the semi-finals of the 200 m competition. He made his first appearance at the

that same year, although he failed to make it out of the heats at that event.Erik Wijmeersch
IAAF. Retrieved on 2014-10-27. The following season brought major success in the form of the

gold medal A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture. Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have bee ...

at the

1996 European Athletics Indoor Championships The 1996 European Athletics Indoor Championships were held at the Globe Arena, Stockholm, the capital city of Sweden from Friday, 8 March to Sunday, 10 March 1996.Meeting Pas de Calais The Meeting Hauts-de-France Pas-de-Calais (formerly Meeting Pas de Calais) also called Meeting International de Liévin (''International Meeting of Liévin'') is an annual indoor track and field competition which takes place in February in Liévin ...

– that time ranked him in the top ten globally that season. He remained in good form in the outdoor season, setting two personal bests with wins in

Tallinn Tallinn () is the most populous and capital city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, Tallinn has a population of 437,811 (as of 2022) and administratively lies in the Harju ' ...

, running 10.23 for the

and 20.42 seconds for the 200 m.Erik Wijmeersch
Tilastopaja. Retrieved on 2014-10-27. His first outdoor medal came shortly after at the European Cup 2nd League, where he was the 100 m champion. An Olympic debut came at the

1996 Atlanta Games The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

and he reached the quarter-finals in both the 100 m and 200 m while representing Belgium.

Later international career

He represented Belgium at two global competitions in the next season: he was a semi-finalist at the

1997 IAAF World Indoor Championships The 6th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy in Paris, France from March 7 to March 9, 1997. It was the first athletic championships to introduce women's pole vault. There were a total numb ...

in the 200 m and a quarter-finalist in both short sprints at the

1997 World Championships in Athletics The 6th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Amateur Athletic Federation, were held at the Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece between August 1 and August 10, 1997. In this event participated 1882 athletes from 19 ...

. He won a further regional gold medal at the European 1st League meeting.European Cup B Final and First League
GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2014-10-27. Wijmeersch set personal bests at all distances that year: 6.74 seconds for the

, 10.17 seconds for the 100 m, a Belgian indoor record of 20.66 seconds for the 200 m, 32.52 seconds for the

300 metres The 300 metres is an uncommon sprinting event in track and field competitions. All-time top 25 *+ = en route to 400 m performance *i = indoor performance *A = affected by altitude *OT = oversized track (> 200 m in circumference) *h = hand timi ...

, and 47.57 seconds for the

400 metres The 400 metres, or 400-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics (sport), athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 for men and since 1964 for women. On a standard outdoor runn ...

. In 1998 he took a 100/200 m double at the Belgian Championships and in his sole international outing reached the semi-finals of the 200 m at the

1998 European Athletics Championships The 17th European Athletics Championships were held from 18 August to 23 August 1998 in Budapest, the capital city of Hungary. Men's results Track 1990 , 1994 , 1998 , 2002 , 2006 , Field 1990 , 1994 , 1998 , 2002 , 2006 , Women's resul ...

. He remained among the Belgian elite the following year but failed to make an impact internationally, being eliminated in the heats stage at both the

1999 IAAF World Indoor Championships The 7th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held in the Green Dome Maebashi stadium in Maebashi, Japan from March 5 to March 7, 1999. It was the first time the Championships were staged outside Europe or North America. Primo Nebiolo, ...

and the

1999 World Championships in Athletics The 7th World Championships in Athletics, a World Athletic Championships event held under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Estadio Olímpico, Seville, Spain, between the August 20 and Augu ...

. After a curtailed 2000 season, he returned in 2001 in strong form by winning the 60 m Belgian title in a new best of 6.70 seconds. He matched that time at the

2001 IAAF World Indoor Championships The 8th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held at the Pavilhão Atlântico in Lisbon, Portugal from March 9 to March 11, 2001. It was the first time the Championships had been held in Portugal. There were a total number of 511 part ...

, reaching the semi-finals, but failed to get past the heats in his speciality 200 m when it came to the

2001 World Championships in Athletics The 8th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada between 3 August and 12 August and was the first time the event ...

. Some success did come at the event, however, as with the Belgian men's 4×100 metres relay he helped set a national record of 39.22 seconds. This was his last appearance on the global stage. He won the 2002 Belgian 100 m title and placed fourth in the 200 m at the European Cup 1st League, but his performances declined over the period. He competed at a lower level in the 2003 and 2004 seasons.

Final titles and retirement

Wijmeersch returned to form in 2005 at the age of 35, setting lifetime indoor bests of 6.69 seconds for the 60 m and 5.80 seconds for the

50 metres 50 metres, or 50-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field. It is a relatively uncommon non-championship event for indoor track and field, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At outdoor athletics competitions it is ...

. He was the national champion indoors in the short sprint, but did not translate these performances to the outdoor season, in which his best outing was a third-place finish in the 100 m at the Belgian Championships. Better performances came in 2006. He was the over-35 category winner of the 60 m at the

World Masters Athletics Indoor Championships The World Masters Athletics Championships are the biennial championships for masters athletics events held under the auspices of World Masters Athletics, formerly called the World Association of Veteran Athletes, for athletes 35 years of age or o ...

and claimed a 100 m individual and relay double at the European Cup 1st League. He ran a season's best of 10.25 seconds for the 100 m – among the fastest times of his career, in spite of his age. He ran in that event at the

2006 European Athletics Championships The 19th European Athletics Championships were held in Gothenburg, Sweden, between 7 August and 13 August 2006. The competition arena was the Ullevi Stadium and the official motto "Catch the Spirit". Gothenburg also hosted the 1995 World Champions ...

and was a semi-finalist. It was to be the last major international outing of his career. Passing his mid-thirties, he ran at European Cup meetings for Belgium in 2007 and 2008 but did not medal. He brought his career to a close with a high by taking the 100 m title at the 2008 Belgian Championships. Following his retirement in 2008, he released an autobiography stated that he had used

performance-enhancing drugs Performance-enhancing substances, also known as performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), are substances that are used to improve any form of activity performance in humans. A well-known example of cheating in sports involves doping in sport, where bann ...

during his sprinting career, including

testosterone Testosterone is the primary sex hormone and anabolic steroid in males. In humans, testosterone plays a key role in the development of Male reproductive system, male reproductive tissues such as testes and prostate, as well as promoting secondar ...

-based products and

erythropoietin Erythropoietin (; EPO), also known as erythropoetin, haematopoietin, or haemopoietin, is a glycoprotein cytokine secreted mainly by the kidneys in response to cellular hypoxia; it stimulates red blood cell production (erythropoiesis) in the bo ...

(EPO), under the supervision of a doctor, Theo Lebon. He also accused Renno Roelandt, vice-president of the

Belgian Olympic Committee The Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee ( nl, Belgisch Olympisch en Interfederaal Comité, french: Comité Olympique et Interfédéral Belge), abbreviated BOIC or COIB, is the National Olympic Committee for Belgium. The administrative s ...

, of having knowledge of his doping practices.Doping, coke en hoeren: een exclusieve voorpublicatie uit de autobiografie van sprinter Erik Wijmeersch
''

HUMO ''HUMO'' is a popular Dutch-language Belgian weekly radio and television supermarket tabloid. History and profile ''Humoradio'' (meaning a portmanteau of 'humor' and 'radio' in English) was first published in 1936 as a Dutch-language counterpar ...

'' (2008-10-14). Retrieved on 2014-10-27.

Personal bests

– 5.80 sec (2005) *

– 6.69 sec (2005) *

– 10.17 sec (1997) *

150 metres 150 metres is a sprint event in track and field. It is a very rarely contested non-championship and not an IAAF-recognised event. Given the proportion of standard running tracks, the event typically incorporates a bend when held in a track and f ...

– 15.92 sec (2001) *

– 20.42 sec (1996) *

(indoor) – 20.66 sec (1997) *

– 32.52 sec (1997) *

(indoor) – 47.57 sec (1997)

National titles

**100 metres: 1996, 1998, 2002, 2008 **200 metres: 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001Erik Wijmeersch
Vlaamse Atletiekliga. Retrieved on 2014-10-27. *Belgian Indoor Championships **60 metres: 1998, 1999, 2001, 2005 **200 metres: 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001

International competitions

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wijmeersch, Erik Living people 1970 births Sportspeople from Sint-Niklaas Belgian male sprinters Olympic athletes for Belgium Athletes (track and field) at the 1996 Summer Olympics World Athletics Championships athletes for Belgium Doping cases in athletics Belgian sportspeople in doping cases