PARALYMPIC TEAM BELGIUM GUIDE POWERED BY RIO / 7-18 SEPT FOLLOW OUR ATHLETES AT PARALYMPIC.BE BEPARALYMPICS Rio de Janeiro TABLE OF CONTENTS 4 Foreword President and Secretary General BPC 5 Foreword Chef de Mission 6 Map Rio 8 About Rio 2016 9 Paralympic Team Belgium 10 Athletics 14 Boccia 18 Cycling 24 Para-equestrian 28 Swimming 32 Table tennis 36 Wheelchair Tennis 41 Belgium and the Paralympic Summer Games 42 Our Team 43 Our partners Realisation BPC Avenue de Boechoutlaan 9 – 1020 Bruxelles/Brussel Responsible Publisher Anne d’Ieteren – President BPC Editing Antoine Collard (BPC), Guillaume Gobert (BPC), Jeroen Bauters (Parantee), Thomas Degryse (LHF) Pictures Luc Dequick, Olivier Papegnies, Frank Van Hollebeke, BPC, ROCOG, Marcus Hartmann, Tennis Foundation Graphic Design FootballHeroes 2 © ROCOG 3 foreword foreword ore than 4000 athletes from all ooking ahead to the upcoming over the world will converge in Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, the M Rio de Janeiro from September L excitement of these Games is 7 until September 18, for the 15th edition growing in the hearts of our athletes as of the Paralympic Summer Games. After their minds remain focused on their final the tremendous success of London preparations. The feeling of living for Rio 2012, these first South American Games 2016, of Rio giving them the necessary will be the measure of how far the energy to overcome their daily Paralympic Movement has come these challenges, is the feeling that has driven past years. our team towards these Games. As this guide will illustrate, Belgium can be Of course, we all realize the efforts and proud of the direction that has been taken sacrifices our athletes had to make Anne d’Ieteren by its national Paralympic competitors. to finally claim their official selection Olek Kazimirowski President BPC Chef de Mission Rio 2016 President LHF For one thing, our athletes worked hard, in the Paralympic Team Belgium. This not only to meet the international criteria, selection process was far from easy as but also to achieve the very strict national many athletes, who all live for their sport, ones. Both the consistent professionalism demonstrated their level of excellence “ IT IS ALL OF US, of every top-level athlete in Belgium and in the last four years of international LOOKING IN THE the improvement of the talent detection competitions. SAME DIRECTION AND system have contributed to the success of We have high expectations for our the road to Rio. This wouldn’t be possible STRIVING FOR THE SAME athletes! As we list the potential medals without the significant and essential and finals our athletes should be able DREAM, THAT MAKES US help of our loyal private and institutional to attain, we are actually looking at A REAL TEAM. ” partners, as well as our NOC, which every single sport in which Belgian all have proven to be unquestioning Marc Vergauwen athletes will compete in Rio. This gives Secretary general BPC supporters of the Paralympic Movement. us a supplementary confidence over the President Parantee The recent regretful doping issues within accomplished work of the past four years. the Paralympic Movement force us to commit more than ever to clean, fair and But obviously, our athletes will not come honest competition. We sincerely see this to compete on their own. They will be struggle as crucial to a credible and strong constantly advised and encouraged by future for the Paralympic Sport. their coaches and all accompanying staff members whom I also wish to thank for Dear athletes, Belgium is standing their efforts in working together to achieve behind you. The unprecedented media the same goals. It is all of us, looking in coverage of the Rio 2016 Paralympic the same direction and striving for the Games will create a bridge between same dream, that makes us a real Team. our country and South America, and allow everybody to encourage you day So, let’s show the world a proud by day. So give it all, push your limits, Paralympic Team Belgium with high- enjoy the Games atmosphere and with quality athletes as well as a great this extraordinary experience, results will medal-appetite! follow. 4 5 QR-CODE plan rio EXISTING VENUES VENUES CONSTRUCTED FOR RIO 2016 TEMPORARY VENUES Learn more BARRA about the 4 clusters on our website OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC VILLAGE RIOCENTro PARALYMPIC SPORTS : POWERLIFTING, SITTING VOLLEYBALL, TABLE TENNIS IBC-INTERNATIONAL BroADCAST CENTRE MPC - MAIN PRESS CENTER RIO OLYMPIC PARK PARALYMPIC SPORTS : BoccIA, CYCLING TRACK, fooTBALL 5-A-SIDE, GOALBALL, JUDO, SWIMMING, WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL, WHEELCHAIR RUBY, WHEELCHAIR TENNIS GOLF RESERVA MARAPENDI VENUE ONLY USED for OLYMPICS DEODORO NATIONAL EQUESTRIAN CENTRE PARALYMPIC SPORT : PARA-EQUESTRIAN deodoro MODERN PENTATHLON PARK PARALYMPIC SPORT : fooTBALL 7-A-SIDE deodoro ARENA PARALYMPIC SPORT : FENCING NATIONAL SHOOTING CENTRE PARALYMPIC SPORT : SHOOTING X-PARK VENUE ONLY USED for OLYMPICS MARACANÃ COPACABANA COPACABANA STADIUM VENUE ONLY USED for OLYMPICS JOÃO HAVELANGE STADIUM MARACANÃZINHO ARENA MARINA DE GLÓRIA PARALYMPIC SPORT : ATHLETICS VENUE ONLY USED for OLYMPICS PARALYMPIC SPORT : SAILING FORT COPACABANA PARALYMPIC SPORT : TRIATHLON MARACANÃ STADIUM SAMBÓDROMO FLAMENGO PARK OPENING & CLOSING CEREMONY PARALYMPIC SPORT : ArcHERY PARALYMPIC SPORT : LAGOA RODRIGO DE FREITAS cYCLING roAD RACE & PARALYMPIC SPORTS : TIME TRIAL (MOVED TO PONTAL) cANOE, roWING 6 7 QR-CODE QR-CODE Olympic Park about Learn more Learn more wheelchair rugby teams did not make about Rio about our Team on our website on our website it to the Paralympic Team Belgium. The prominence of women – 34.5% in Rio compared to 5% in Beijing 8 years ago – is also an important sign of the evolution of Paralympic sports in our © ROCOG country. Maracana With four defending world champions About Rio 2016 About the Paralympic and two European champions on its Team Belgium team, our country has every reason to be ambitious and to expect an even his Brazilian city, with its stun- he Belgian Paralympic better result than in London four years ning landmarks, will provide a Committee, Parantee and the ago. The Belgian Paralympic Commit- T perfect backdrop for the first T Ligue Handisport Francophone tee's goal is 8 medals and a top 40 ever edition of the South American will count on a strong delegation spot in the nation’s ranking. Olympic & Paralympic Games. The of 29 athletes in Rio, in 8 different This high ambition is the result Rio 2016 Organizing Committee com- sports. and the proof of our country's hard mits itself to "deliver excellent Games, The number of athletes performing work over the past four years., with memorable celebrations that will in individual sports is very compar- participating in the large international promote the global image of Brazil, tries will travel to Rio to compete in able to the London games and even professionalization process that was underpinned by social and urban sus- 528 medal events in 23 different slightly higher, yet our goalball and already activated before London. tainable transformation through sport, sports. Canoe and triathlon will be contributing to the growth of the included in the Paralympic Games Paralympic Schedule Olympic and Paralympic Movements." program for the first time. Of the total e Events Medal Events number of athletes set to take part, Rio 2016 is also making an effort in approximately 1,650 will be women - a SEPTEMBER 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 improving accessibility standards 9.9 per cent increase on London 2012 Ceremonies ★ ★ throughout the city. The aim is that and more than double the 790 who all public transportation systems took part in the Atlanta 1996 Games. Athletics in the city of Rio de Janeiro will Boccia e e e e e be offeringfull accessibility, and Rio 2016 Paralympic Games : Cycling Road the accessibility standards of the International Paralympic Committee Over 4000 athletes Cycling Track (IPC) will be enforced in all new 23 sports Equestrian hotels in the city, with the purpose of 21 venues e e encompassing at least 1 per cent of 176 countries Swimming all rooms available in Rio de Janeiro. 528 medal events Table Tennis e e e e e 3,300,00 tickets Wheelchair Tennis Over 4000 athletes from 176 coun- 4,100,000,000 expected TV viewers e e e e 8 9 QR-CODE © Marcus Hartmann Livia De Clercq athletics Learn more about Paralympic Athletics on our website Team Support Peter Genyn © Marcus Hartmann Mieke Van Thuyne Coach Athletics Athletics has been part of the Paralympic program since the Paralympic Games of Rome in 1960. This sport always attracts the largest number of spectators. The sport offers a wide range of competitions and events and is open to male and female athletes in all impairment groups (physical, visual, intellectual). The competitions will take place in the Olympic Stadium © ROCOG (Engenhão), except for the marathon that will start at Fort Copacabana. Venues Olympic Stadium (Engenhão) & Fort Copacabana Gold medals 177 10 11 athletics athletics Livia De Clercq Sport: athletics Discipline: long jump and 100m Classification: T42 Date of birth: 03/06/1982 Residence: Deinze Club: AC Deinze Marieke Vervoort Disability: left above knee amputation Origin of disability: bone tumor diagnosed in 1997, Sport: athletics amputation in 2008 Discipline: 100m and 400m Participation to Paralympic Games: first participation Classification: T52 in Rio 2016 Date of birth: 10/05/1979 Other best performances: World Championships Residence: Diest Doha 2015: 7th place long jump; Club: AC Lyra European Championships Grosseto 2016: 4th