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.
thumb|300px|King Baudouin Stadium during the 2012 edition
Editions
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sticky-header defaultleft col4right"
|+Memorial Van Damme editions
|-
!scope="col"|
!scope="col"| Meeting
!scope="col"| Series
!scope="col"| Date
!scope="col"|
|-
!scope="row"|
| 1977 Memorial Van Damme || || 16 Aug 1977 ||
|-
!scope="row"|
| 1978 Memorial Van Damme || || 18 Aug 1978 ||
|-
!scope="row"|
| 1979 Memorial Van Damme || || 4 Sep 1979 ||
|-
!scope="row"|
| 1997 Memorial Van Damme || 1997 IAAF Grand Prix || 22 Aug 1997 ||
|-
!scope="row"|
| 1998 Memorial Van Damme || 1998 IAAF Golden League || 28 Aug 1998 ||
|-
!scope="row"|
| 1999 Memorial Van Damme || 1999 IAAF Golden League || 3 Sep 1999 ||
|-
!scope="row"|
| 2000 Memorial Van Damme || 2000 IAAF Golden League || 28 Aug 2000 ||
|-
!scope="row"|
| 2001 Memorial Van Damme || 2001 IAAF Golden League || 24 Aug 2001 ||
|-
!scope="row"|
| 2002 Memorial Van Damme || 2002 IAAF Golden League || 30 Aug 2002 ||
|-
!scope="row"|
| 2003 Memorial Van Damme || 2003 IAAF Golden League || 5 Sep 2003 ||
|-
!scope="row"|
| 2004 Memorial Van Damme || 2004 IAAF Golden League || 2–3 Sep 2004 ||
|-
!scope="row"|
| 2005 Memorial Van Damme || 2005 IAAF Golden League || 26 Aug 2005 ||
|-
!scope="row"|
| 2006 Memorial Van Damme || 2006 IAAF Golden League || 25 Aug 2006 ||
|-
!scope="row"|
| 2007 Memorial Van Damme || 2007 IAAF Golden League || 14 Sep 2007 ||
|-
!scope="row"|
| 2008 Memorial Van Damme || 2008 IAAF Golden League || 5 Sep 2008 ||
|-
!scope="row"|
| 2009 Memorial Van Damme || 2009 IAAF Golden League || 4 Sep 2009 ||
|-
!scope="row"|
| 2010 Memorial Van Damme || 2010 Diamond League || 27 Aug 2010 ||
|-
!scope="row"|
| 2011 Memorial Van Damme || 2011 Diamond League || 16 Sep 2011 ||
|-
!scope="row"|
| 2012 Memorial Van Damme || 2012 Diamond League || 7 Sep 2012 ||
|-
!scope="row"|
| 2013 Memorial Van Damme || 2013 Diamond League || 6 Sep 2013 ||
|-
!scope="row"|
| 2014 Memorial Van Damme || 2014 Diamond League || 5 Sep 2014 ||
|-
!scope="row"|
| 2015 Memorial Van Damme || 2015 Diamond League || 11 Sep 2015 ||
|-
!scope="row"|
| 2016 Memorial Van Damme || 2016 Diamond League || 8–9 Sep 2016 ||
|-
!scope="row"|
| 2017 Memorial Van Damme || 2017 Diamond League || 31 Aug, 1 Sep 2017 ||
|-
!scope="row"|
| 2018 Memorial Van Damme || 2018 Diamond League || 30–31 Aug 2018 ||
|-
!scope="row"|
| 2019 Memorial Van Damme || 2019 Diamond League || 5–6 Sep 2019 ||
|-
!scope="row"|
| 2020 Memorial Van Damme || 2020 Diamond League || 4 Sep 2020 ||
|-
!scope="row"|
| 2021 Memorial Van Damme || 2021 Diamond League || 1 Sep, 3 Sep 2021 ||
|-
!scope="row"|
| 2022 Memorial Van Damme || 2022 Diamond League || 1–2 Sep 2022 ||
|-
!scope="row"|
| 2023 Memorial Van Damme || 2023 Diamond League || 7–8 Sep 2023 ||
|-
!scope="row"|
| 2024 Memorial Van Damme || 2024 Diamond League || 13–14 Sep 2024 ||
|-
!scope="row"|
| 2025 Memorial Van Damme || 2025 Diamond League || 22 Aug 2025 ||
|}
World records
Over the course of its history, numerous world records have been set at Memorial Van Damme.
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+World records set at the Memorial Van Damme
|-
!scope="col"|Year
!scope="col"|Event
!scope="col"|Record
!scope="col"|Athlete
!scope="col"|Nationality
|-
!scope="row"|1981
|
|3:47.33
|
|
|-
!scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2"|1995
|
|13:07.38
|
|
|-
|
|2:29.34
|
|
|-
!scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2"|1996
|
|26:38.08
|
|
|-
|
|2:28.98
|
|
|-
!scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2"|1997
|
|12:39.74
|
|
|-
|
|26:27.85
|
|
|-
!scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2"|2001
|
|7:30.67
|
|
|-
|
|7:55.28
|
|
|-
!scope="rowgroup" rowspan="3"|2004
|
|27:04.00
|
|
|-
|
|7:53.63
|
|
|-
|Pole vault
|4.92 m
|
|
|-
!scope="row"|2005
|
|26:17.53
|
|
|-
!scope="row"|2006
|
|7:02.43
|<br>William Yiampoy<br>Ismael Kombich<br>Wilfred Bungei
|
|-
!scope="row"|2007
|
|8:58.58
|
|
|-
!scope="row"|2009
|
|14:36.23
|<br>Gideon Gathimba<br>Geoffrey Kipkoech Rono<br>Augustine Kiprono Choge
|
|-
!scope="row"|2012
|
|12.80
|
|
|-
!scope="rowgroup" rowspan="4"|2020
| (track)
|56:20.02
|
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|
|21,330 m
|
|
|-
|18,930 m
|
|
|-
|
|19.71
|
|
|-
!scope="row"|2023
|
|4:43.13
|
|
|-
!scope="row"|2025
|
|4:40.13
|
|
|}
Meeting records
Men
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sticky-header"
|+Men's meeting records of the Memorial Van Damme [https://dl.all-athletics.com/dls/en/meeting-records/22/men]
|-
!scope="col"|Event
!scope="col"|Record
!scope="col"|Athlete
!scope="col"|Nationality
!scope="col"|Date
!scope="col"|Meet
!scope="col"|
!scope="col"|Video
|-
!scope="row"|100 m
|9.76
|Usain Bolt
|
|16 September 2011
|2011
|
|[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2b198eaN6y0]
|-
!scope="row"|200 m
|19.26 DLR
|Yohan Blake
|
|16 September 2011
|2011
|
|[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzJr9Prvus8]
|-
!scope="row"|300 m
|32.22
|Butch Reynolds
|
|19 Augustus 1988
|1988
|
|
|-
!scope="row"|400 m
|44.03
|Michael Cherry
|
|3 September 2021
|2021
|
|
|-
!scope="row"|800 m
|1:42.20
|Wilson Kipketer
|
|22 August 1997
|1997
|
|
|-
!scope="row"|1000 m
|2:14.95
|Sammy Koskei
|
|30 August 1985
|1985
|
|
|-
!scope="row"|1500 m
|3:26.12
|Hicham El Guerrouj
|
|24 August 2001
|2001
|
|
|-
!scope="row"|Mile
|3:47.30
|Noureddine Morceli
|
|3 September 1993
|1993
|
|
|-
!scope="row"|2000 m
|4:43.13
|Jakob Ingebrigtsen
|
|8 September 2023
|2023
|
|
|-
!scope="row"|3000 m
|7:23.09
|Hicham El Guerrouj
|
|3 September 1999
|1999
|
|
|-
!scope="row"|5000 m
|12:39.74
|Daniel Komen
|
|22 August 1997
|1997
|
|
|-
!scope="row"|10,000 m
|26:17.53
|Kenenisa Bekele
|
|26 August 2005
|2005
|
|
|-
!scope="row"|15,000 m
|41:51.64
|Sabastian Sawe
|
|1 September 2022
|2022
|
|
|-
!scope="row"|10 Miles
|44:57.65
|Sabastian Sawe
|
|1 September 2022
|2022
|
|
|-
!scope="row"|One hour
|21,330 m DLR
|Mo Farah
|
|4 September 2020
|2020
|
|
|-
!scope="row"|110 m hurdles
|12.80
|Aries Merritt
|
|7 September 2012
|2012
|
|
|-
!scope="row"|400 m hurdles
|47.51
|Andre Phillips
|
|5 September 1986
|1986
|
|
|-
!scope="row"|2000 m steeplechase
|5:30.7
|Joseph Mahmoud
|
|24 August 1984
|1984
|
|
|-
!scope="row"|3000 m steeplechase
|7:53.63
|Saif Saaeed Shaheen
|
|3 September 2004
|2004
|
|
|-
!scope="row"|High jump
|2.43 m DLR
|Mutaz Essa Barshim
|
|5 September 2014
|2014
|
|
|-
!scope="row"|Pole vault
|6.11 m
|Armand Duplantis
|
|13 September 2024
|2024
|
|
|-
!scope="row"|Long jump
|8.65 m
|Carl Lewis
|
|24 August 1984
|1984
|
|
|-
!scope="row"|Triple jump
|17.66 m
|Christian Taylor
|
|6 September 2019
|2019
|
|
|-
!scope="row"|Shot put
|22.98 m
|Leonardo Fabbri
|
|14 September 2024
|2024
|
|
|-
!scope="row"|Discus throw
|69.96 m
|Matthew Denny
|
|13 September 2024
|2024
|
|
|-
!scope="row"|Hammer throw
|82.26 m
|Lance Deal
|
|23 August 1996
|1996
|
|
|-
!scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2"|Javelin throw
|93.48 m <small>(old design)</small>
|Tom Petranoff
|
|26 August 1983
|1983
|
|
|-
|90.50 m <small>(current design)</small>
|Jan Železný
|
|25 August 1995
|1995
|
|
|-
!scope="row"|4 × 100 m relay
|38.49
|Xavi Mo-Ajok<br>Taymir Burnet<br>Hensley Paulina<br>Raphael Bouju
|
|8 September 2023
|2023
|
|
|-
!scope="row"|4 × 400 m relay
|3:05.57
|Olympic Essenbeek Halle:<br>Jonathan Sacoor<br>Tuur Bras<br>Kevin Borlée<br>Dylan Borlée
|
|14 September 2024
|2024
|
|
|-
!scope="row"|4 × 800 m relay
|7:02.43
|Joseph Mwengi Mutua<br>William Yiampoy<br>Ismael Kipngetich Kombich<br>Wilfred Bungei
|
|25 August 2006
|2006
|
|
|-
!scope="row"|4 × 1500 m relay
|14:36.23
|William Biwott Tanui<br>Gideon Gathimba<br>Geoffrey Rono<br>Augustine Choge
|
|4 September 2009
|2009
|
|
|}
Women
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sticky-header"
|+Women's meeting records of the Memorial Van Damme [https://dl.all-athletics.com/dls/en/meeting-records/22/women]
|-
!scope="col"|Event
!scope="col"|Record
!scope="col"|Athlete
!scope="col"|Nationality
!scope="col"|Date
!scope="col"|Meet
!scope="col"|
|-
!scope="rowgroup" rowspan=2|100 m
|10.72
|Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
|
|6 September 2013
|2013
|
|-
|10.72
|Elaine Thompson
|
|9 September 2016
|2016
|
|-
!scope="row"|200 m
|21.48 DLR
|Shericka Jackson
|
|8 September 2023
|2023
|
|-
!scope="row"|400 m
|48.83
|Sanya Richards
|
|4 September 2009
|2009
|
|-
!scope="row"|800 m
|1:55.16
|Pamela Jelimo
|
|6 September 2008
|2008
|
|-
!scope="row"|1000 m
|2:28.98
|Svetlana Masterkova
|
|23 August 1996
|1996
|
|-
!scope="row"|1500 m
|3:54.75
|Faith Kipyegon
|
|14 September 2024
|2024
|
|-
!scope="row"|Mile
|4:14.74
|Sifan Hassan
|
|3 September 2021
|2021
|
|-
!scope="row"|2000 m
|5:30.19
|Gelete Burka
|
|4 September 2009
|2009
|
|-
!scope="row"|3000 m
|8:24.81
|Meseret Defar
|
|14 September 2007
|2007
|
|-
!scope="row"|Two miles
|8:58.58
|Meseret Defar
|
|14 September 2007
|2007
|
|-
!scope="row"|5000 m
|14:09.82
|Beatrice Chebet
|
|14 September 2024
|2024
|
|-
!scope="row"|One hour
|18,930 m DLR
|Sifan Hassan
|
|4 September 2020
|2020
|
|-
!scope="row"|100 m hurdles
|12.27
|Jasmine Camacho-Quinn
|
|2 September 2022
|2022
|
|-
!scope="row"|400 m hurdles
|52.11
|Femke Bol
|
|8 September 2023
|2023
|
|-
!scope="row"|Mile steeplechase
|4:40.13
|Winfred Yavi
|
|22 August 2025
|2025
|
|-
!scope="row"|3000 m steeplechase
|8:55.10
|Beatrice Chepkoech
|
|31 August 2018
|2018
|
|-
!scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2"|High jump
|rowspan="2"|2.05 m
|Anna Chicherova
|
|16 September 2011
|2011
|
|-
|Yaroslava Mahuchikh
|
|2 September 2022
|2022
|
|-
!scope="row"|Pole vault
|5.00 m
|Sandi Morris
|
|9 September 2016
|2016
|
|-
!scope="row"|Long jump
|7.25 m
|Heike Drechsler
|
|13 September 1991
|1991
|
|-
!scope="row"|Triple jump
|15.14 m
|Tatyana Lebedeva
|
|5 September 2003
|2003
|
|-
!scope="row"|Shot put
|20.90 m
|Chase Jackson
|
|22 August 2025
|2025
|
|-
!scope="row"|Discus throw
|69.84 m
|Tsvetanka Christova
|
|5 September 1986
|1986
|
|-
!scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2"|Javelin throw
|72.18 m <small>(old design)</small>
|Fatima Whitbread
|
|5 September 1986
|1986
|
|-
|68.11 m <small>(current design)</small>
|Kara Winger
|
|2 September 2022
|2022
|
|-
!scope="row"|4 × 100 m relay
|42.97
|Gwen Torrence<br>Sheila Echols<br>Dannette Young<br>Evelyn Ashford
|
|19 August 1988
|1988
|
|-
!scope="row"|4 × 400 m relay
|3:42.09
|Atletiekvereniging Lyra Lierse:<br>Jitse Steenmans<br>Elise Mehuys<br>Messalina Pieroni<br>Lien Torfs
|
|14 September 2024
|2024
|
|}
Mixed
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+Mixed meeting records of the Memorial Van Damme
|-
!scope="col"|Event
!scope="col"|Record
!scope="col"|Athlete
!scope="col"|Nationality
!scope="col"|Date
!scope="col"|Meet
!scope="col"|
|-
!scope="row"|4 × 100 m relay
|40.96
|Netherlands Orange:<br>Elvis Afrifa<br>Minke Bisschops<br>Nsikak Ekpo<br>Britt de Blaauw
|
|22 August 2025
|2025
|
|}
References
External links
- Diamond League – Brussels Official Web Site