William Van Dijck
Encyclopedia
William Van Dijck was a Belgian
athlete, primarily active on the 3000m steeplechase
.
. He won a second bronze at the 1994 European Championships
. He became Belgian Sportsman of the year
in 1986. Van Dijck quit athletics in 1997 and now works in a bank in Geel
.
He also applied himself to cross country running
and won the Lotto Cross Cup
in the 1993–94 and 1995–96 seasons.
Van Dijck was 9 times Belgian Champion steeplechaser between 1983 and 1994.
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
athlete, primarily active on the 3000m steeplechase
Steeplechase (athletics)
The steeplechase is an obstacle race in athletics, which derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing.-Rules:The length of the race is usually 3000 m; junior events are 2000 m, as women's events formerly were. The circuit has four ordinary barriers and one water jump. Over 3000 m, each...
.
Biography
He was the first Belgian to win a medal at the World Championships, winning the bronze medal at the 1987 World Championships1987 World Championships in Athletics
The 2nd World Championships in Athletics under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations were held in the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy between August 28 and September 6, 1987.-Track:1983 | 1987 | 1991 | 1993 | 1995...
. He won a second bronze at the 1994 European Championships
1994 European Championships in Athletics
The 16th European Athletics Championships were held from 7 August to 14 August 1994 in the Olympic Stadium of Helsinki, Finland.-Track:1986 |1990 |1994 |1998 |2002 |-Field:1986 |1990 |1994 |1998 |2002 |-Track:1986 |1990 |1994 |1998 |2002 |-Field:...
. He became Belgian Sportsman of the year
Belgian Sportsman of the year
The Belgian Sportsman of the Year is elected at the end of each year, annually since 1967. A Belgian Sportswoman of the Year title has been given out since 1975...
in 1986. Van Dijck quit athletics in 1997 and now works in a bank in Geel
Geel
Geel is a city located in the Belgian province of Antwerp which acquired the status of a city in the 1980s.It comprises Central-Geel which is constituted of 4 old parishes a/o towns : Sint-Amand, Sint-Dimpna, Holven and Elsum...
.
He also applied himself to cross country running
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
and won the Lotto Cross Cup
Lotto Cross Cup
The Lotto Cross Cup is an annual series of international cross country running competitions in Belgium. The inaugural season was in 1982–1983. The series comprises Belgium's foremost cross country competitions, including the IAAF permit meeting in Brussels and the European Athletics sanctioned...
in the 1993–94 and 1995–96 seasons.
Achievements
- All results regarding 3000 metres steeplechase
Representing 1983 World Championships 1983 World Championships in AthleticsThe inaugural World Championships in Athletics were run under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations and were held at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, Finland between August 7 and August 14, 1983....Helsinki, Finland Semi-final 8:39.01 1984 Olympic Games Athletics at the 1984 Summer OlympicsAt the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, 41 events in athletics were contested, 24 events by men and 17 by women. There were a total number of 1273 participating athletes from 124 countries.-Men's events:-Women's events:...Los Angeles, United States Semi-final 8:23.08 Athletics at the 1984 Summer Olympics - Men's 3000 metre steeplechaseThe men's 3000 metres steeplechase at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California had an entrylist of 35 competitors, with three qualifying heats and two semifinals before the final took place.-Medalists:-Abbreviations:...1986 European Championships Stuttgart, Germany 5th 8:20.19 1987 World Championships 1987 World Championships in AthleticsThe 2nd World Championships in Athletics under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations were held in the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy between August 28 and September 6, 1987.-Track:1983 | 1987 | 1991 | 1993 | 1995...Rome, Italy 3rd 8:12:19 1988 Olympic Games Athletics at the 1988 Summer OlympicsAt the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul a total number of 42 events in athletics were contested: 24 by men and 18 by women. There were a total number of 1617 participating athletes from 149 countries.-Men's events:...Seoul, South Korea 5th 8:13.99 Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics - Men's 3000 metre steeplechaseThe men's 3000 metres steeplechase at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea had an entrylist of 33 competitors, with three qualifying heats and two semifinals before the final took place on Friday September 30, 1988....1990 European Championships Split, Yugoslavia 5th 8:21.71 1991 World Championships 1991 World Championships in AthleticsThe 3rd World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held in the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, Japan between August 23 and September 1 and athletes from 167 countries participated in the event.The event is best-remembered for the...Tokyo, Japan 9th 8:30.46 1992 Olympic Games Athletics at the 1992 Summer OlympicsAt the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, 43 events in athletics were contested, 24 events by men and 19 by women. The competition ran from July 31, 1992 to August 9, 1992. Fourteen world record-holders were among the contenders...Barcelona, Spain 9th 8:22.51 1992 IAAF World Cup 1992 IAAF World CupThe 6th IAAF World Cup in Athletics was an international track and field sporting event sponsored by the International Association of Athletics Federations, held on September 8–10, 1992, at the Estadio Panamericano in Havana, Cuba.-Men:|width="50"| ...Havana, Cuba 2nd 8:32.06 1994 European Championships Helsinki, Finland 3rd 8:24.86
- 1986: Belgian record in BrusselsBrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
: 8:10.01, the best year performance worldwide1986 in athletics (track and field)-International Events:* Asian Games* Balkan Games* European Championships* European Indoor Championships* Commonwealth Games* Goodwill Games* World Junior Championships-Men:-Women:... - 1986: National Trophy for Sporting Achievements
Van Dijck was 9 times Belgian Champion steeplechaser between 1983 and 1994.