Belgium competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. Since the nation's official debut in 1900, Belgian athletes had appeared in every edition of the Summer Olympic Games, with the exception of the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis. The Belgian team consisted of 108 athletes, 70 men and 38 women, across nineteen sports.
Belgium returned home from Rio de Janeiro with six medals (two in each color), which matched its overall tally from the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. A third of the medal tally was distributed to the Belgian cyclists, including the first ever gold of the Games won by Greg Van Avermaet in the men's road race. These Games also marked a historic first for the Belgians on the podium in collective sports after nearly a century, bringing them home a silver medal in the men's field hockey tournament. Indeed, the Belgian men surpassed their female counterparts in the medal count for the first time since 1988.
Apart from Van Avermaet and the men's field hockey team, other medals were distributed to the following athletes on the Belgian roster: a gold to Nafissatou Thiam, who edged out the defending champion Jessica Ennis-Hill of Great Britain in the women's heptathlon; a silver to Pieter Timmers, who became the first Belgian swimmer to ascend the Olympic podium, since Frédérik Deburghgraeve captured the gold in Atlanta two decades earlier; and two bronzes to judoka and three-time Olympian Dirk Van Tichelt (men's lightweight) and track cyclist Jolien D'Hoore (women's omnium).
Medalists
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Medal Name Sport Event Date Cycling Men's road race Athletics Women's heptathlon Swimming Men's 100 m freestyle Belgium men's national field hockey team Field hockey Men's tournament Dirk Van Tichelt Judo Men's 73 kg Jolien D'Hoore Cycling Women's omnium | style="text-align:left; width:22%; vertical-align:top;"|
Medals by sportSport TotalCycling1012Athletics1001Hockey0101Swimming0101Judo0011Total2226
Medals by dayDayDate TotalDay 16 August1001Day 27 August0000Day 38 August0011Day 49 August0000Day 510 August0101Day 611 August0000Day 712 August0000Day 813 August1001Day 914 August0000Day 1015 August0000Day 1116 August0011Day 1217 August0000Day 1318 August0101Day 1419 August0000Day 1520 August0000Day 1621 August0000Total2226
Medals by genderGender TotalMale1214Female1012Total 2 2 2 6
Competitors The Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee fielded a roster of 108 athletes, 70 men and 38 women, to compete across nineteen different sports at these Games; it was the nation's second-largest delegation sent to the Olympics, falling short of the record achieved in London 2012 (111) by a few athletes. Roughly three quarters of the nation's full roster size were made up of males more than their female counterparts, due to the attendance of the men's field hockey squad and the proliferation of men in judo, swimming, and track and field making the cut.
For individual-based sports, Belgium made its Olympic debut in golf (new to the 2016 Games), as well as its return to fencing after 12 years and archery after 16 years. Additionally, the Belgian female gymnasts were selected to compete in the team all-around for the first time at these Games after nearly seven decades. Track and field accounted for the largest number of athletes on the Belgian team, with 26 entries, while there was a single competitor each in archery, sprint canoeing, fencing, rowing, shooting, and weightlifting.
The Belgian roster featured London 2012 bronze medalists Charline Van Snick (women's extra-lightweight judo) and sailing veteran Evi Van Acker (Laser Radial), taekwondo fighter and former Iranian refugee Raheleh Asemani (women's 57 kg), world-ranked tennis player David Goffin, rising heptathlon star Nafissatou Thiam, badminton siblings Yuhan and Lianne Tan, and the prominent Borlée track and field quartet of twins and three-time Olympians Kévin and Jonathan, their younger brother Dylan, and their lone sister and 2008 relay champion Olivia, who eventually served as the nation's flag bearer in the opening ceremony.
Fifteen-year-old gymnast Senna Deriks, who helped the Belgians secure one of available berths in the women's team all-around at the Games, was the country's youngest competitor, with equestrian eventing rider and four-time Olympian Joris Vanspringel rounding out the lineup as the oldest competitor (aged 53). Vanspringel's teammate Karin Donckers topped the list of most experienced athletes on the Belgian roster, by becoming the country's first female to participate in her record six Olympics.
| width=78% align=left valign=top | The following is the list of number of competitors in the Games. Note that reserves in fencing, field hockey, football, and handball are not counted as athletes: SportMenWomenTotalArchery 1 0 1Athletics 15 11 26Badminton 1 1 2Canoeing 1 0 1Cycling 8 8 16Equestrian 3 2 5Fencing 1 0 1Field hockey 16 0 16Golf 2 1 3Gymnastics 1 5 6Judo 4 1 5Rowing 1 0 1Sailing 3 1 4Shooting 1 0 1Swimming 7 2 9Taekwondo 2 1 3Tennis 1 2 3Triathlon 2 2 4Weightlifting 1 0 1 Total 70 38 108
Archery
One Belgian archer has qualified for the men's individual recurve at the Olympics by virtue of a top five national finish at the 2016 Archery World Cup meet in Antalya, Turkey, signifying the nation's Olympic return to the sport for the first time since 2000.
AthleteEventRanking roundRound of 64Round of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinal / ScoreSeedOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankRobin RamaekersMen's individual65442W 6–2L 0–6did not advance
Athletics
Belgian athletes have so far achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event):
Track & road events Men AthleteEventHeatSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankBashir Abdi5000 m13:42.8316colspan=2 did not advance10000 mcolspan=4 28:01.4920Jonathan Borlée200 m20.645did not advance400 m46.014did not advanceKevin Borlée400 m45.905did not advanceMichaël Bultheel400 m hurdles49.375 q49.465did not advanceFlorent CaelenMarathoncolspan=4 2:17:5944Jeroen D'hoedt3000 m steeplechase8:48.2913colspan=2 did not advancePieter-Jan Hannes1500 m3:38.898 q3:43.7112did not advanceKoen NaertMarathoncolspan=4 2:14:5322Willem Van Schuerbeeckcolspan=4 2:18:5656Jonathan BorléeKevin BorléeDylan BorléeAntoine GilletRobin VanderbemdenJulien Watrin4 × 400 m relay2:59.25 NR1 Qcolspan=2 2:58.52 NR4
Women AthleteEventHeatSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankCynthia Bolingo200 m23.988did not advanceOlivia Borlée23.537did not advanceLouise Carton5000 m15:34.3911colspan=2 did not advanceAxelle Dauwens400 m hurdles57.687did not advanceVeerle DejaeghereMarathoncolspan=4 2:37:3947Renée Eykens800 m2:00.004 q2:00.455did not advanceEls RensMarathoncolspan=4 2:45:5284Manuela Soccolcolspan=4 2:44:1874Anne Zagré100 m hurdles12.852 Qdid not advance
Field events AthleteEventQualificationFinalDistancePositionDistancePositionPhilip MilanovMen's discus throw62.6812 q62.229
Combined events – Men's decathlon AthleteEventFinalRankThomas Van der Plaetsen Result11.247.6612.842.1649.6315.0143.585.4062.094:32.2183328Points8089756579538328487381035769717
Combined events – Women's heptathlon AthleteEvent 200 m 800 mFinalRankNafissatou ThiamResult13.561.9814.9125.106.5853.132:16.546810Points104112118558781033921871
Badminton
Belgium has qualified two badminton players for each of the following events into the Olympic tournament. London 2012 siblings Yuhan and Lianne Tan were selected among the top 34 individual shuttlers each in the men's and women's singles based on the BWF World Rankings as of 5 May 2016.
AthleteEventGroup StageEliminationQuarterfinalSemifinalFinal / OppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankYuhan TanMen's singlesL (20–22, 12–21)L (14–21, 8–21)3did not advanceLianne TanWomen's singlesL (17–21, 22–20, 14–21)L (11–21, 11–21)W (21–16, 21–18)3did not advance
Canoeing
Sprint Belgium has received an unused host quota place in the men's K-1 1000 m to the Olympics, as the next highest-ranked eligible nation, not yet qualified, at the 2015 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships.
AthleteEventHeatsSemifinalsFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankArtuur PetersMen's K-1 1000 m3:34.1785 Q3:37.5867 FB3:33.52111 Qualification Legend: FA = Qualify to final (medal); FB = Qualify to final B (non-medal)
Cycling
Road Belgian riders qualified for the following quota places in the men's and women's Olympic road race by virtue of their top 15 final national ranking in the 2015 UCI World Tour (for men) and top 22 in the UCI World Ranking (for women). The women's road cycling team was named to the Olympic roster on June 9, 2016, with the men joining them on July 22.
Men AthleteEventTimeRankLaurens De PlusRoad racedid not finishPhilippe Gilbert6:23.2342Serge Pauwels6:16.1722Greg Van Avermaet6:10.05Tim WellensRoad racedid not finishTime trial1:16:49.7120
Women AthleteEventTimeRankAnn-Sophie DuyckRoad racedid not finishTime trial48:17.6023Lotte KopeckyRoad race4:02:0745Time trial48:09.8621Anisha VekemansRoad race3:58:0329
Track Following the completion of the 2016 UCI Track Cycling World Championships, Belgian riders have accumulated spots in both the men's and women's omnium, by virtue of their final individual UCI Olympic rankings in those events.
Omnium AthleteEventScratch raceIndividual pursuitElimination raceTime trialFlying lapPoints raceTotal pointsRankRankPointsTimeRankPointsRankPointsTimeRankPointsTimeRankPointsPointsRankJasper De BuystMen's omnium1864:36.2461612151028Jolien D'HooreWomen's omnium3363:30.20233623835.32643414.195728278199
Mountain biking Belgian mountain bikers qualified for two men's and one women's quota place into the Olympic cross-country race, as a result of the nation's ninth-place finish for men and twelfth for women, respectively, in the UCI Olympic Ranking List of May 25, 2016. The mountain biking team was named to the Olympic roster on June 9, 2016.
AthleteEventTimeRankRuben ScheireMen's cross-country1:37:3611Jens Schuermans1:39:3018Githa MichielsWomen's cross-country1:40:2321
BMX Belgian riders qualified for one women's quota place in BMX at the Olympics, as a result of the nation's top three finish for women in the UCI BMX Individual Ranking List of May 31, 2016. BMX cyclist Elke Vanhoof was named to the Olympic roster on June 9, 2016.
AthleteEventSeedingSemifinalFinalResultRankPointsRankResultRankElke VanhoofWomen's BMX35.3256133 Q39.5386
Equestrian
Belgium has entered two jumping riders into the Olympic equestrian competition by virtue of their top four finish outside the group selection in the individual FEI Olympic Rankings. Two eventing riders and one dressage rider have been added to the squad by virtue of the following results in the individual FEI Olympic rankings: a top nine finish from the combined overall in eventing, and a top two finish from South Western Europe in dressage.
Belgian equestrian team was named on July 12, 2016.
Dressage AthleteHorseEventGrand PrixGrand Prix SpecialGrand Prix FreestyleOverallScoreRankScoreRankTechnicalArtisticScoreRankJorinde VerwimpTiamoIndividual70.77135did not advance
Eventing AthleteHorseEventDressageCross-countryJumpingTotalQualifierFinalPenaltiesRankPenaltiesTotalRankPenaltiesTotalRankPenaltiesTotalRankPenaltiesRankKarin DonckersFletcha van't VerahofIndividual41.107Eliminateddid not advanceJoris VanspringelLully des Aulnes54.305221.6075.90268.0083.9025 Q4.0087.902487.9024
Jumping AthleteHorseEventQualificationFinalTotalRound 1Round 2Round 3Round ARound BPenaltiesRankPenaltiesTotalRankPenaltiesTotalRankPenaltiesRankPenaltiesTotalRankPenaltiesRankJérôme GueryGrand CruIndividual0=1 Q1010=44 Q51537 Q828did not advance828Nicola PhilippaertsZilverstardid not advance
Fencing