van der PLAETSEN Thomas

Belgium
Athletics
24 Dec 1990
30
Male
GHENT
 
Belgium
DEINZE
 
Belgium

Events and Medals

Discipline Event Rank Medal
ATH Athletics Men's Decathlon DNF

Schedule

Change
Start Time Location Event Status
Olympic Stadium - Track
Men's Decathlon 100m - Heat 1
Finished
Olympic Stadium - Long Jump B
Men's Decathlon Long Jump - Group B
Finished
Olympic Stadium - Shot Put A
Men's Decathlon Shot Put - Group A
Finished
Olympic Stadium - High Jump B
Men's Decathlon High Jump - Group A
Finished
Olympic Stadium - Track
Men's Decathlon 400m - Heat 1
Finished

Biographical Information

Highlights

:
Olympic Games
YearLocationDecathlon
2016Rio de Janeiro, BRA8th (8332)

World Athletics Championships
YearLocationDecathlon
2019Doha, QAT9th (8125)
2017London, GBRDNF
2015Beijing, CHN14th (8035)
2013Moscow, RUS15th (8255)
2011Daegu, KOR13th (8069)

European Championships
YearLocationDecathlon
2018Berlin, GERDNF

World Combined Events Challenge
RankEventYearLocationResult
3Decathlon2021Gotzis, AUT8430
3Decathlon2019Talence, FRA8214
9Decathlon2019Doha, QAT8125
13Decathlon2018Gotzis, AUT8007
DNFDecathlon2018Berlin, GERDNF
DNFDecathlon2017London, GBRDNF
DNFDecathlon2017Ratingen, GERDNF


Legend
SF - Semifinal, QF - Quarterfinal, 1R - 1st Round, Qual. - Qualification, QR - Qualification Round, DNF - Did Not Finish, DNS - Did Not Start, DQ - Disqualified, NM - No Mark, [Relay athlete without time] - Did not run in final
:
Photography, travel, technology, reading. (Twitter profile, 07 Jan 2021; demorgen.be, 06 Apr 2020)
:
Athlete
:
Information Technology
:
Dutch, English
:
Michael van der Plaetsen [brother], BEL
:
He sustained a knee injury in November 2020. The injury forced him to miss the 2020 Meeting de la Reunion in Reunion Island, France. (lesoir.be, 26 Nov 2020)

He was affected by an elbow injury in early 2016. (theguardian.com, 31 Jul 2016)

He was diagnosed with cancer in October 2014 and did not compete again until May 2015. (iaaf.org, 28 Jul 2015)

He was unable to compete at the 2012 World Championships due to injury. (iaaf.org, 28 Jul 2015)
:
He took up athletics in Deinze, Belgium. (nieuwsblad.be, 10 Mar 2020)
:
To win a gold medal at the Olympic Games. (thomasvdp.com, 04 Oct 2019)
:
Winning a gold medal at the 2015 World University Games in Gwangju, Republic of Korea, and competing at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing, People's Republic of China. He had been diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2014. (demorgen.be, 06 Apr 2020)
:
He was named the 2014 Belgian Athlete of the Year. (iaaf.org, 28 Jul 2015)

General Interest

General
COMEBACK FROM CANCER
In October 2014 an anti-doping test revealed the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin [HCG], which was later discovered to be a result of undiagnosed testicular cancer. His father had been diagnosed with cancer in 2011 and passed away within a month. "It was especially difficult to tell my mother. Cancer is always tough, but it is especially hard for someone who has had to endure it before." He required surgery and had chemotherapy until January 2015, when he was able to begin training again. Seven months after finishing chemotherapy he was able to win gold at the 2015 World University Games. He has since set up a cancer foundation called 'Back on Track' that offers psychological support and rehabilitation programmes for cancer patients. (Instagram profile, 09 Dec 2020; thomasvdp.com, 01 Aug 2015; alloverkanker.be, 01 Jan 2016; iaaf.org, 28 Jul 2015)

Legend
:
Gold Medal Event
:
Silver Medal Event
:
Bronze Medal Event
DNF:
Did not finish
Content 1 (removed through CDN)
Content 2 (removed through CDN).
Timing and scoring provided by OMEGA. Results powered by Atos