Belgian men's 4 × 400 metres relay team

Belgian men's 4 × 400 metres relay team
Olympic Games
Appearances	10
Medals	0
World Championships
Appearances	7
Medals	2
Athletics

The Belgian men's 4 × 400 metres relay team, nicknamed the Belgian Tornados from July 2014 onwards,^[1] is the relay team of the Belgian national athletics team that has given the highest number of medals in international competitions, mainly thanks to the support of the Borlée family.^[2]

History

The Belgian men's 4 × 400 meters relay team has won 17 medals at international athletics competitions, six at the World Championships (two gold) and eleven (seven gold) at the European Championships. Of these medals, eight were won in outdoor competitions (four gold) and nine in indoor competitions (five gold).^[3]^[4]

At the Olympic Games the team's best result was 4th place twice.

Borlée family

The progenitor of the Borlee family is Jacques (born 1957), bronze medalist at the 1983 European Indoor Championships in Budapest on 200 m, while his first wife Edith Demaertelaere^[nl] (born 1964) was a good sprinter with a personal best of 23.89. Six of his seven children are athletes (the first five born from the first marriage with Edith, the last two born from a second marriage, but now only Rayane (born 1999) is an athlete).^[5]

The eldest daughter Olivia (born 1986) won the gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics and the world bronze at the 2007 Osaka World Championships with the 4 × 100 m relay and the other daughter Alizia (born 1991) was also a decent sprinter. The four sons are all 400 m specialists, the twins Jonathan and Kevin (born 1988), both Olympic finalists in London 2012, Dylan (born 1992) and the youngest Rayane. In addition, Jacques' older brother Jean-Pierre^[nl] (born 1947) was also a sprinter.^[6]

In 2015 the Belgian men's 4 × 400 meters relay team won the Belgian National Sports Merit Award (Trophée national du Mérite sportif) award assigned to the components Dylan Borlée, Jonathan Borlée, Kevin Borlée, Antoine Gillet et Julien Watrin.^[7]

Results

Olympic Games

Year	Competition	Venue	Rank	Time	Notes
Olympic Games^[8]
1920	Olympic Games	Antwerp	6th	3:24.9
1928	Olympic Games	Amsterdam	Heat	DNF
1952	Olympic Games	Helsinki	Heat	3:15.8
1960	Olympic Games	Rome	Heat	3:15.26
1980	Olympic Games	Moscow	Heat	DNF
2008	Olympic Games	Beijing	4th	2:59.37	NR
2012	Olympic Games	London	5th	3:01.83	^{[note 1]}
2016	Olympic Games	Rio de Janeiro	4th	2:58.52
2020	Olympic Games	Tokyo	4th	2:57.88	NR
2024	Olympic Games	Paris	4th	2:57.75	NR

Others competitions

Outdoor

Year	Competition	Venue	Rank	Team	Time	Notes
2010	European Championships	Barcelona	3rd	Arnaud Destatte, Kevin Borlée, Cédric Van Branteghem, Jonathan Borlée, Antoine Gillet, Nils Duerinck	3:02.60
2012	European Championships	Helsinki	1st	Antoine Gillet, Jonathan Borlée, Jente Bouckaert, Kevin Borlée, Nils Duerinck	3:01.09	EL
2015	World Relays	Nassau	3rd	Dylan Borlée, Julien Watrin, Jonathan Borlée, Kevin Borlée	2:59.33	NR
2016	European Championships	Amsterdam	1st	Julien Watrin, Jonathan Borlée, Dylan Borlée, Kevin Borlée, Robin Vanderbemden	3:01.10	EL
2018	European Championships	Berlin	1st	Jonathan Sacoor, Dylan Borlée, Kevin Borlée, Jonathan Borlée	2:59.47	EL
2019	World Relays	Yokohama	3rd	Dylan Borlée, Robin Vanderbemden, Jonathan Borlée, Jonathan Sacoor, Julien Watrin	3:02.70	SB
2019	World Championships	Doha	3rd	Jonathan Sacoor, Robin Vanderbemden, Dylan Borlée, Kevin Borlée, Julien Watrin	2:58.78	SB
2022	World Championships	Eugene	3rd	Dylan Borlée, Julien Watrin, Alexander Doom, Kevin Borlée, Jonathan Sacoor	2:58.72	SB
2022	European Championships	Munich	2nd	Alexander Doom, Julien Watrin, Kevin Borlée, Dylan Borlée	2:59.49
2024	World Relays	Nassau	3rd	Dylan Borlée, Robin Vanderbemden, Alexander Doom, Jonathan Sacoor	3:01.16	SB
2024	European Championships	Rome	1st	Jonathan Sacoor, Robin Vanderbemden, Dylan Borlée, Alexander Doom, Florent Mabille, Christian Iguacel	2:59.84	EL

Indoor

Year	Competition	Venue	Rank	Team	Time	Notes
2010	World Championships	Qatar	2nd	Cédric Van Branteghem, Kevin Borlée, Antoine Gillet, Jonathan Borlée, Nils Duerinck	3:06.94	NR
2011	European Championships	Paris	3rd	Jonathan Borlée, Antoine Gillet, Nils Duerinck, Kevin Borlée	3:06.57	NR
2015	European Championships	Prague	1st	Julien Watrin, Dylan Borlée, Jonathan Borlée, Kevin Borlée	3:02.87	WL NR
2017	European Championships	Belgrade	2nd	Robin Vanderbemden, Julien Watrin, Kevin Borlée, Dylan Borlée	3:07.80
2018	World Championships	Birmingham	3rd	Dylan Borlée, Jonathan Borlée, Jonathan Sacoor, Kevin Borlée	3:02.51	NR
2019	European Championships	Glasgow	1st	Julien Watrin, Dylan Borlée, Jonathan Borlée, Kevin Borlée	3:06.27
2022	World Championships	Belgrade	1st	Julien Watrin, Alexander Doom, Jonathan Sacoor, Kevin Borlée, Dylan Borlée	3:06.27	SB
2023	European Championships	Istanbul	1st	Dylan Borlée, Alexander Doom, Kevin Borlée, Julien Watrin	3:05.83	EL
2024	World Championships	Glasgow	1st	Jonathan Sacoor, Christian Iguacel, Dylan Borlée, Alexander Doom, Tibo De Smet	3:02.54	WL

Notes

^ In heats run a better crono (3:01.70)

References

^ "Belgische 4x400m-aflossingsploeg heet vanaf nu Belgian Tornados" (in Dutch). nieuwsblad.be. 18 July 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
^ "The Borlee family: From Moscow 1980 to Tokyo 2020". olympics.com. 29 April 2021. Archived from the original on 4 May 2021. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
^ "De Hongaarse twijfels zijn weggeblazen: de Belgian Tornados dikken hun indrukwekkend palmares toch weer aan" (in Dutch). sporza.be. 4 March 2024. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
^ "De Belgian Tornados doen het weer! Soeverein naar GOUD op de 4x400m estafette" (in Dutch). sporza.be. 12 June 2024. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
^ "Mais qui est Rayane, le quatrième frère Borlée ?" (in French). rtbf.be. 6 May 2019. Retrieved 5 May 2021. Rayane, leur petit frère de 19 ans. Il n'a pas la même mère que les trois ainés.
^ "FRATELLI BORLEE L'ATLETICA IN FAMIGLIA" (in Italian). runtoday.it. 7 August 2012. Archived from the original on 5 May 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
^ "LE 4X400M MASCULIN REÇOIT LE TROPHÉE NATIONAL DU MÉRITE SPORTIF" (in French). lbfa.be. 18 December 2015. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
^ "Belgium in Athletics at the Summer Olynpics". olympedia.org. Retrieved 5 May 2021.

External links

Royal Belgian Athletics League

[9] In heats run a better crono (3:01.70)

[1] "Belgische 4x400m-aflossingsploeg heet vanaf nu Belgian Tornados" (in Dutch). nieuwsblad.be. 18 July 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2023.

[2] "The Borlee family: From Moscow 1980 to Tokyo 2020". olympics.com. 29 April 2021. Archived from the original on 4 May 2021. Retrieved 4 May 2021.

[3] "De Hongaarse twijfels zijn weggeblazen: de Belgian Tornados dikken hun indrukwekkend palmares toch weer aan" (in Dutch). sporza.be. 4 March 2024. Retrieved 13 June 2024.

[4] "De Belgian Tornados doen het weer! Soeverein naar GOUD op de 4x400m estafette" (in Dutch). sporza.be. 12 June 2024. Retrieved 13 June 2024.

[5] "Mais qui est Rayane, le quatrième frère Borlée ?" (in French). rtbf.be. 6 May 2019. Retrieved 5 May 2021. Rayane, leur petit frère de 19 ans. Il n'a pas la même mère que les trois ainés.

[6] "FRATELLI BORLEE L'ATLETICA IN FAMIGLIA" (in Italian). runtoday.it. 7 August 2012. Archived from the original on 5 May 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2021.

[7] "LE 4X400M MASCULIN REÇOIT LE TROPHÉE NATIONAL DU MÉRITE SPORTIF" (in French). lbfa.be. 18 December 2015. Retrieved 5 May 2021.

[8] "Belgium in Athletics at the Summer Olynpics". olympedia.org. Retrieved 5 May 2021.

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