On Wednesday 12 July, Belgium’s top athletics and international stars will appear at the Province Naimette Arena for the 21st edition of the Meeting International d’Athlétisme de la Province de Liège. Eliott Crestan and Camille Laus will attempt to break the 21-year-old Belgian record in the 600 metres, Thomas Carmoy takes on two former World Champions in the high jump. The audience will also be treated to a double performance by Nafi Thiam, who competes in both the 100-metre hurdles and the long jump.
Two Belgian records in the same event in one evening? It happened 21 years ago at the Meeting International d’Athlétisme de la Province de Liège and it might just happen again on 12 July. Eliott Crestan will attack Joeri Jansen’s Belgian Record in the 600 metres. Crestan, who took bronze in the 800 metres at this year’s European Indoor Championships, needs to run faster than 1’15″35 to do so. The fact that Kenyan Ferguson Rotich, silver in the 800 metres at the Tokyo Olympics, is attending could give Crestan an extra boost.
Camille Laus also dreams of a record race in the 600 metres. To improve the Belgian record run by Sandra Stals in Liège in 2002, she will have to do better than 1’25″91. Cynthia Bolingo, the poster girl of the Meeting International d’Athlétisme de la Province de Liège and, like Laus, a Belgian Cheetah, will run the 400 metres on 12 July. In the Men’s event, Belgian Tornados Alexander Doom and Robin Vanderbemden will start.
In Liège, reigning Olympic and World Champion in the heptathlon Nafi Thiam will go for the 100-metre hurdles – in which she will compete against Anne Zagré – and the long jump. In the Men’s high jump, two former World Champions will take part: Ukrainian Bohdan Bondarenko and Bahamian Donald Thomas. Can Thomas Carmoy, bronze at the last European Indoor Championships, ensure a Belgian success and beat the strong international competition? Pole vaulter Ben Broeders is also up against a former World Champion: German Raphael Holzdeppe.
Other Belgians who will make an appearance at the 21st Meeting International d’Athlétisme de la Province de Liège include Rani Rosius (100 metres), Nolan Vancauwemberghe (110m hurdles), François Graillet (110m hurdles), Pieter Jan Hannes (3000m steeplechase), Rémi Schyns (3000m steeplechase) and Dries Van Nieuwenhove (400m hurdles). Liège resident and paralympic top athlete Roger Habsch is another one you won’t want to miss at the Province Naimette Arena. Habsch will start as top favourite in the 100 metres for wheelers.
Tickets can be downloaded for free until Tuesday 11 July or will be on sale on Wednesday 12 July from 4pm at 10 Euros each at the main entrance of the Province Naimette Arena.
