The Memorial Van Damme is an annual athletics event at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, Belgium, that takes place in late August or early September. Previously one of the IAAF Golden League events, it now serves as a final event of the Diamond League, along with Weltklasse Zürich between 2010 and 2019. In 2024 and 2026, Memorial Van Damme will serve as the sole final of the Diamond League.
It was first organized in 1977 by a group of journalists in honour of Ivo Van Damme, a Belgian double medal winner at the Montreal Olympics who was killed the previous year in a car accident at the age of 22.
Editions
+Memorial Van Damme editions Meeting Series Date 1977 Memorial Van Damme 16 Aug 1977 1978 Memorial Van Damme 18 Aug 1978 1979 Memorial Van Damme 4 Sep 1979 1980 Memorial Van Damme 22 Aug 1980 1981 Memorial Van Damme 28 Aug 1981 1982 Memorial Van Damme 27 Aug 1982 1983 Memorial Van Damme 26 Aug 1983 1984 Memorial Van Damme 24 Aug 1984 1985 Memorial Van Damme 1985 IAAF Grand Prix 30 Aug 1985 1986 Memorial Van Damme 1986 IAAF Grand Prix 5 Sep 1986 1987 Memorial Van Damme 1987 IAAF Grand Prix 11 Sep 1987 1988 Memorial Van Damme 1988 IAAF Grand Prix 19 Aug 1988 1989 Memorial Van Damme 1989 IAAF Grand Prix 25 Aug 1989 1990 Memorial Van Damme 1990 IAAF Grand Prix 10 Aug 1990 1991 Memorial Van Damme 1991 IAAF Grand Prix 13 Sep 1991 1992 Memorial Van Damme 1992 IAAF Grand Prix 28 Aug 1992 1993 Memorial Van Damme 1993 IAAF Grand Prix 3 Sep 1993 1994 Memorial Van Damme 1994 IAAF Grand Prix 19 Aug 1994 1995 Memorial Van Damme 1995 IAAF Grand Prix 25 Aug 1995 1996 Memorial Van Damme 1996 IAAF Grand Prix 23 Aug 1996 1997 Memorial Van Damme 1997 IAAF Grand Prix 22 Aug 1997 1998 Memorial Van Damme 1998 IAAF Golden League 28 Aug 1998 1999 Memorial Van Damme 1999 IAAF Golden League 3 Sep 1999 2000 Memorial Van Damme 2000 IAAF Golden League 28 Aug 2000 2001 Memorial Van Damme 2001 IAAF Golden League 24 Aug 2001 2002 Memorial Van Damme 2002 IAAF Golden League 30 Aug 2002 2003 Memorial Van Damme 2003 IAAF Golden League 5 Sep 2003 2004 Memorial Van Damme 2004 IAAF Golden League 2–3 Sep 2004 2005 Memorial Van Damme 2005 IAAF Golden League 26 Aug 2005 2006 Memorial Van Damme 2006 IAAF Golden League 25 Aug 2006 2007 Memorial Van Damme 2007 IAAF Golden League 14 Sep 2007 2008 Memorial Van Damme 2008 IAAF Golden League 5 Sep 2008 2009 Memorial Van Damme 2009 IAAF Golden League 4 Sep 2009 2010 Memorial Van Damme 2010 Diamond League 27 Aug 2010 2011 Memorial Van Damme 2011 Diamond League 16 Sep 2011 2012 Memorial Van Damme 2012 Diamond League 7 Sep 2012 2013 Memorial Van Damme 2013 Diamond League 6 Sep 2013 2014 Memorial Van Damme 2014 Diamond League 5 Sep 2014 2015 Memorial Van Damme 2015 Diamond League 11 Sep 2015 2016 Memorial Van Damme 2016 Diamond League 8–9 Sep 2016 2017 Memorial Van Damme 2017 Diamond League 31 Aug, 1 Sep 2017 2018 Memorial Van Damme 2018 Diamond League 30–31 Aug 2018 2019 Memorial Van Damme 2019 Diamond League 5–6 Sep 2019 2020 Memorial Van Damme 2020 Diamond League 4 Sep 2020 2021 Memorial Van Damme 2021 Diamond League 1 Sep, 3 Sep 2021 2022 Memorial Van Damme 2022 Diamond League 1–2 Sep 2022 2023 Memorial Van Damme 2023 Diamond League 7–8 Sep 2023 2024 Memorial Van Damme 2024 Diamond League 13–14 Sep 2024 2025 Memorial Van Damme 2025 Diamond League 22 Aug 2025 2026 Memorial Van Damme 2026 Diamond League 4–5 Sep 2026
World records Over the course of its history, numerous world records have been set at Memorial Van Damme.
+World records set at the Memorial Van DammeYearEventRecordAthleteNationality19813:47.33199513:07.38 2:29.34199626:38.082:28.98199712:39.7426:27.8520017:30.67 7:55.28200427:04.00 7:53.63Pole vault4.92 m200526:17.5320067:02.43William YiampoyIsmael KombichWilfred Bungei20078:58.58200914:36.23Gideon GathimbaGeoffrey Kipkoech RonoAugustine Kiprono Choge201212.80 2020 (track)56:20.0221,330 m18,930 m19.71 20234:43.1320254:40.13
Meeting records
Men
+Men's meeting records of the Memorial Van Damme EventRecordAthleteNationalityDateMeetVideo100 m9.76 Usain Bolt16 September 20112011200 m19.26 Yohan Blake16 September 20112011300 m32.22Butch Reynolds19 Augustus 19881988400 m43.40 Collen Kebinatshipi4 September 20262026800 m1:41.80Emmanuel Wanyonyi4 September 202620261000 m2:14.95Sammy Koskei30 August 198519851500 m3:26.12Hicham El Guerrouj24 August 20012001Mile3:47.30Noureddine Morceli3 September 199319932000 m4:43.13 Jakob Ingebrigtsen8 September 202320233000 m7:23.09Hicham El Guerrouj3 September 199919995000 m12:39.74Daniel Komen22 August 1997199710,000 m26:17.53Kenenisa Bekele26 August 2005200515,000 m41:51.64Sabastian Sawe1 September 2022202210 Miles44:57.65Sabastian Sawe1 September 2022202220,000 m56:20.02 Bashir Abdi4 September 20202020One hour21,330 m Mo Farah4 September 20202020110 m hurdles12.80 Aries Merritt7 September 20122012400 m hurdles46.70Alison dos Santos5 September 202620262000 m steeplechase5:30.7 Joseph Mahmoud24 August 198419843000 m steeplechase7:53.63Saif Saaeed Shaheen3 September 20042004High jump2.43 m Mutaz Essa Barshim5 September 20142014Pole vault6.12 mEmmanouil Karalis4 September 20262026Long jump8.65 m Carl Lewis24 August 19841984Triple jump17.74 m Andy Díaz5 September 20262026Shot put23.08 mRajindra Campbell5 September 20262026Discus throw71.29 mKristjan Čeh4 September 20262026Hammer throw82.26 mLance Deal23 August 19961996Javelin throw93.48 m (old design)Tom Petranoff26 August 1983198390.50 m (current design)Jan Železný25 August 199519954 × 100 m relay38.49Xavi Mo-AjokTaymir BurnetHensley PaulinaRaphael Bouju8 September 202320234 × 400 m relay3:05.57Olympic Essenbeek Halle:Jonathan SacoorTuur BrasKevin BorléeDylan Borlée14 September 202420244 × 800 m relay7:02.43Joseph Mwengi MutuaWilliam YiampoyIsmael Kipngetich KombichWilfred Bungei25 August 200620064 × 1500 m relay14:36.23William Biwott TanuiGideon GathimbaGeoffrey RonoAugustine Choge4 September 20092009
Women
+Women's meeting records of the Memorial Van Damme EventRecordAthleteNationalityDateMeet100 m10.72 Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce6 September 2013201310.72 Elaine Thompson9 September 20162016200 m21.48 Shericka Jackson8 September 20232023400 m48.64Marileidy Paulino5 September 20262026800 m1:54.75Audrey Werro5 September 202620261000 m2:28.98Svetlana Masterkova23 August 199619961500 m3:54.05Klaudia Kazimierska5 September 20262026Mile4:14.74Sifan Hassan3 September 202120212000 m5:30.19Gelete Burka4 September 200920093000 m8:24.81Meseret Defar14 September 20072007Two miles8:58.58 Meseret Defar14 September 200720075000 m14:09.82Beatrice Chebet14 September 20242024One hour18,930 m Sifan Hassan4 September 20202020100 m hurdles12.20 Masai Russell5 September 20262026400 m hurdles52.11Femke Bol8 September 20232023Mile steeplechase4:40.13 Winfred Yavi22 August 202520253000 m steeplechase8:51.61Faith Cherotich4 September 20262026High jump2.05 mAnna Chicherova16 September 20112011Yaroslava Mahuchikh2 September 20222022Pole vault5.00 mSandi Morris9 September 20162016Long jump7.25 m Heike Drechsler13 September 19911991Triple jump15.14 m Tatyana Lebedeva5 September 20032003Shot put21.14 m Chase Jackson4 September 20262026Discus throw69.84 mTsvetanka Christova5 September 19861986Javelin throw72.18 m (old design)Fatima Whitbread5 September 1986198668.42 m (current design)Yan Ziyi5 September 202620264 × 100 m relay42.97Gwen TorrenceSheila EcholsDannette YoungEvelyn Ashford19 August 198819884 × 400 m relay3:42.09Atletiekvereniging Lyra Lierse:Jitse SteenmansElise MehuysMessalina PieroniLien Torfs14 September 20242024
Mixed +Mixed meeting records of the Memorial Van DammeEventRecordAthleteNationalityDateMeet4 × 100 m relay40.96Netherlands Orange:Elvis AfrifaMinke BisschopsNsikak EkpoBritt de Blaauw22 August 20252025
References
External links
Diamond League – Brussels Official Web Site