Belgium competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Originally scheduled to take place from 24 July to 9 August 2020, the Games were postponed to 23 July to 8 August 2021, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the nation's official debut in 1900, Belgian athletes have appeared in every edition of the Summer Olympic Games, with the exception of the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis.
Medalists
Medal Name Sport Event Date Nina Derwael Gymnastics Women's uneven bars Field hockey Men's tournament Nafissatou Thiam Athletics Women's heptathlon Wout Van Aert Cycling Men's road race Matthias Casse Judo Men's 81 kg Equestrian Team jumping Bashir Abdi Athletics Men's marathon
Competitors SportMenWomenTotalArchery 1 0 1Athletics 16 13 29Badminton 0 1 1Basketball 4 12 16Canoeing 2 2 4Cycling 8 6 14Equestrian 5 3 8Field hockey 17 0 17Golf 2 1 3Gymnastics 0 4 4Judo 3 1 4Rowing 2 0 2Sailing 1 3 4Shooting 0 1 1Skateboarding 1 1 2Swimming 1 1 2Taekwondo 1 0 1Tennis 2 2 4Triathlon 2 2 4Weightlifting 0 2 2 Total 68 55 123
Archery
Belgium archers booked an Olympic place in the men's individual recurve based on the world ranking.
AthleteEventRanking roundRound of 64Round of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinal / ScoreSeedOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankJarno de SmedtMen's individual65043W 6–2L 5–6Did not advance
Athletics
Belgian athletes further achieved the entry standards, either by qualifying time or by world ranking, in the following track and field events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event):
DNS = Did not start NM = No valid trial recorded
Track & road events Men AthleteEventHeat SemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankRobin Vanderbemden200 m20.703 Q21.007Did not advanceKevin Borlée400 m45.36 SB2 QDid not advanceJonathan Sacoor45.413 Q45.888Did not advanceEliott Crestan800 m1:46.192 Q1:44.84 PB4Did not advanceIsmael Debjani1500 m3:36.001 Q3:42.1811Did not advanceRobin Hendrix5000 m13:58.3716colspan=2 rowspan=2 Did not advanceIsaac Kimeli5000 m13:57.3617Did not advance10000 mcolspan=4 28:31.9118Michael Obasuyi110 m hurdles13.656Did not advanceDylan BorléeJonathan BorléeKévin BorléeAlexander DoomJonathan SacoorRobin Vanderbemden*Julien Watrin*4 × 400 m relay2:59.37 SB3 Qcolspan=2 2:57.88 NR4Bashir AbdiMarathoncolspan=4 rowspan=3 2:10:00 SBDieter Kersten2:22:0659Koen Naert2:12:13 SB10
Women AthleteEventHeat SemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankImke Vervaet200 m23.05 PB4 q23.319Did not advanceCynthia Bolingo400 mDid not advanceElise Vanderelst1500 m4:05.639 q4:04.8611Did not advanceAnne Zagré100 m hurdles12.83 SB3 Q12.78 SB8Did not advanceHanne Claes400 m hurdles56.38 SB8Did not advancePaulien Couckuyt54.90 NR3 Q54.47 NR3Did not advancePaulien CouckuytCamille LausNaomi Van Den BroeckImke VervaetHanne Claes*Hanne Maudens*4 × 400 m relay3:24.08 NR3 Qcolspan=2 3:23.96 NR7Mieke GorissenMarathoncolspan=4 rowspan=2 2:34:24 28Hanne Verbruggen2:38:0349
Mixed AthleteEventHeat FinalResultRankResultRankDylan BorléeJonathan BorléeKevin BorléeAlexander DoomCamille LausImke Vervaet4 × 400 m relay3:12.75 NR3 Q3:11.51 NR5
Field events AthleteEventQualificationFinalDistancePositionDistancePositionBen BroedersMen's pole vault5.6518Did not advanceFanny SmetsWomen's pole vault4.25=14Did not advance
Combined events – Men's decathlon AthleteEventFinalRankThomas van der PlaetsenResult11.05———————Points85000———————
Combined events – Women's heptathlon AthleteEvent 200 m 800 mFinalRankNafissatou ThiamResult13.54 SB1.92 SB14.8224.906.6054.68 SB2:15.98 SB6791 SBPoints104411328498961040951879Noor VidtsResult13.17 PB1.83 SB14.33 PB23.70 PB6.3241.80 PB2:09.05 PB6571 PB4Points109910168161010949702979
Badminton
Belgium entered one badminton player into the Olympic tournament. Set to compete at her third consecutive Games, Lianne Tan secured a spot in the women's singles at the Games based on the BWF Race to Tokyo Rankings.
AthleteEventGroup stageEliminationQuarterfinalSemifinalFinal / OppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankLianne TanWomen's singlesW (21–6, 21–8)L (11–21, 17–21)2Did not advance
Basketball
Indoor Summary TeamEventGroup stageQuarterfinalSemifinalFinal / OppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankBelgium women'sWomen's tournamentW 70–85W 87–52L 74–62 2 QL 86–85Did not advance7
Women's tournament
Belgium women's basketball team qualified for the first time for the Olympics as one of two highest-ranked eligible squads at the Ostend meet of the 2020 FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
Team roster
Group play
Quarterfinal
3×3 basketball Summary TeamEventGroup stageQuarterfinalSemifinalFinal / OppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankBelgium men's 3×3Men's 3×3 tournament W 21–20L 16–18 ROC W 21–16L 14–21L 20–21W 16–18 (OT)W 16–142 N/AL 8–21 L 10–214
Men's tournament
Belgium men's national 3x3 team qualified for the Olympics by securing a top finish at the 2021 Universality Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
Team roster The players were announced on 3 July 2021.
Rafael Bogaerts Nick Celis Thierry Mariën Thibaut Vervoort
Group play
Semifinal
Bronze medal match
Canoeing
Slalom Belgium entered one canoeist to compete in the men's K-1 class at the Games, as the International Canoe Federation accepted the nation's request to claim an unused berth from the 2020 Oceania Championships.
AthleteEventPreliminarySemifinalFinalRun 1RankRun 2RankBestRankTimeRankTimeRankGabriel De CosterMen's K-1152.94 2498.67 1798.6722Did not advance
Sprint Belgium qualified a boat in the women's K-2 200 m for the Games by finishing fourth overall and second among those nations eligible for Olympic qualification at the 2019 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Szeged, Hungary. Meanwhile, one additional boat was awarded to the Belgian canoeist in the men's K-1 1000 m by winning the gold medal at the 2021 European Canoe Sprint Qualification Regatta.
AthleteEventHeatsQuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankArtuur PetersMen's K-1 1000 m3:41.9673 QF3:45.7121 SF3:26.7735 FB3:26.78110Lize BroekxWomen's K-1 500 m1:52.4767 QF1:49.3362 SF1:54.4895 FC1:56.84221Hermien Peters1:47.9591 SFcolspan=2 1:52.8292 FA1:53.7166Lize BroekxHermien PetersWomen's K-2 500 m1:48.1374 QF1:47.6491 SF1:39.0465 FB1:38.4759 Qualification Legend: FA = Qualify to final (medal); FB = Qualify to final B (non-medal)
Cycling
Road Belgium entered a squad of eight riders (five men and three women) to compete in their respective Olympic road races, by virtue of their top 50 national finish (for men) and top 22 (for women) in the UCI World Ranking.
Men AthleteEventTimeRankTiesj BenootRoad race6:16:5358Remco EvenepoelRoad race6:15:3849Time trial57:21.279Wout Van AertRoad race6:06:33Time trial56:44.726Greg Van AvermaetRoad raceDid not finishMauri Vansevenant6:21:46 77
Women AthleteEventTimeRankValerie DemeyRoad raceDid not finishLotte Kopecky3:54:244Julie Van de VeldeRoad race4:01:0842Time trial34:23.4919
Track Following the completion of the 2020 UCI Track Cycling World Championships, Belgian riders accumulated spots for both men and women in madison and omnium based on their country's results in the final UCI Olympic rankings.
Omnium AthleteEventScratch raceTempo raceElimination racePoints raceTotal pointsRankRankPointsRankPointsRankPointsPointsRankKenny De KeteleMen's omnium11207281022067013Lotte KopeckyWomen's omnium=13160
Madison AthleteEventPointsLapsRankKenny De KeteleRobbe Ghys Men's madison3204Jolien D'HooreLotte KopeckyWomen's madison−18−2010 * Lindsay De Vylder and Shari Bossuyt will travel as reserves
Mountain biking Belgian mountain bikers qualified for one men's and one women's quota place each into the Olympic cross-country race, as a result of the nation's thirteenth-place-finish for men and fourteenth for women, respectively, in the UCI Olympic Ranking List of 16 May 2021.
AthleteEventTimeRankJens SchuermansMen's cross-country1:29:0718Githa MichielsWomen's cross-country (2 laps)33
BMX
Race AthleteEventQuarterfinalSemifinalFinalResultRankPointsRankPointsRankElke VanhoofWomen's race124 Q166Did not advance
Equestrian
Belgium fielded a squad of three equestrian riders into the Olympic team jumping competition by winning the gold medal and securing the first of three available berths for Group A and B at the European Championships in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Meanwhile, two riders were added to the Spanish roster based on the following results in the individual FEI Olympic rankings: a top two finish outside the group selection for Group B (South Western Europe) in eventing and a highest overall placement outside the group and continental selection in dressage.
With Ireland withdrawing from the team dressage competition, Belgium received an invitation from FEI to send a dressage team to the Games, as the highest-ranked composite team, not yet represented. Belgium is hence set to compete in team dressage for the first time since Amsterdam 1928.
Belgian equestrian squads for eventing and jumping were named on June 24, 2021. The dressage team was named on July 3, 2021.
Dressage Alexa Fairchild and Dabanos have been named the travelling alternates.
AthleteHorseEventGrand Prix Grand Prix SpecialGrand Prix FreestyleTotalScoreRankScoreRankTechnicalArtisticScoreRankDomien MichielsIntermezzo van het MeerdaalhofIndividual70.20228colspan=2 rowspan=3 Did not advanceLarissa PauluisFlambeau67.25142Did not advanceLaurence RoosFil Rouge70.69923Did not advanceDomien MichielsLarissa PauluisLaurence RoosSee aboveTeam6702.510Did not advancecolspan=2 Did not advance Qualification Legend: Q = Qualified for the final; q = Qualified for the final as a lucky loser
Eventing AthleteHorseEventDressageCross-countryJumpingTotalQualifierFinalPenaltiesRankPenaltiesTotalRankPenaltiesTotalRankPenaltiesTotalRankPenaltiesRankLara de Liedekerke-MeierAlpaga d'Arville Individual37.2033Withdrawn
Jumping Yves Vanderhasselt and Jeunesse were originally named as the travelling alternates, but for veterinary reasons were replaced by Pieter Devos and Claire Z.
AthleteHorseEventQualificationFinalPenaltiesRankPenaltiesTimeRankNiels BruynseelsDelux van T & LIndividual0=1 QEliminatedJérôme GueryQuel Homme de Hus0=1 Q799.8414Gregory WatheletNevados S0=1 Q484.269Pieter DevosJérôme GueryGregory WatheletSee aboveTeam4=2 Q12242.02
Field hockey
Summary
TeamEventGroup stageQuarterfinalSemifinalFinal / OppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankBelgium men'sMen's tournamentW 3–1W 3–1W 9–4W 9–1D 2–21 QW 3–1W 5–2W 3–2PFT: 1–1
Men's tournament
Belgium men's field hockey team qualified for the Olympics by winning the gold medal at the 2019 EuroHockey Nations Championships in Antwerp.
Team roster
Group play
Quarterfinal
Semifinal
Gold medal game
Golf
Belgium entered a total of two male golfers and one female golfer into the Olympic tournament.
AthleteEventRound 1Round 2Round 3Round 4TotalScoreScoreScoreScoreScoreParRankThomas DetryMen's70676869274−10=22Thomas Pieters65766468273−11=16Manon De RoeyWomen's71677474286 +2=46
Gymnastics
Artistic Belgium fielded a full squad of four gymnasts in the women's artistic gymnastics events by finishing seventh out of nine nations eligible for qualification in the team all-around at the 2019 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Stuttgart, Germany.
Women Team