HAENEN Gitte

Belgium

Athletics

Date of Birth: 23 Mar 1986

Age: 35

Gender: Female

Sport Class: T63

Place of birth: MORTSEL

Birth Country:

Belgium

Place of residence : GHENT

Residence Country:

Belgium

Events and Medals
Records
Schedule
Bio
General Interest
Milestones

Events and Medals

Discipline	Event	Rank	Medal
Athletics	Women's 100m - T63
	Women's Long Jump - T63	9

Schedule

Change

Start Time	Location	Event	Status
	Olympic Stadium - Long Jump	Women's Long Jump - T63 Final	Finished
	Olympic Stadium - Track	Women's 100m - T63 Round 1 - Heat 2	Finished

Biographical Information

Highlights

Athlete:

ATHLETICS

Rank	Event	Year	Location	Result
World Championships
2	Long Jump - T63	2019	Dubai, UAE	4.41
3	100m - T63	2019	Dubai, UAE	15.60
4	100m - T42	2017	London, GBR	16.73
European Championships
2	Long Jump - T63	2018	Berlin, GER	4.30
3	100m - T63	2018	Berlin, GER	16.07

TRIATHLON

Rank	Event	Year	Location	Result
World Championships
9	PTS2	2017	Rotterdam, NED	1:45:18

Hobbies:

Boxing. (Athlete, 06 Nov 2019)

Education:

Physical Education, Teaching - Karel de Grote University College, Antwerp, BEL

Languages spoken:

Dutch, English, French

Club name:

KAA Gent [Belgium]

Coach:

Mieke van Thuyne, BEL

Other sports:

She competed in Para triathlon at the 2017 World Championships in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Prior to her accident, she was a semi-professional Muay Thai boxer and represented Belgium at the European championships. (SportsDeskOnline, 30 Jul 2018; gitteonwheels.simplesite.com, 27 Aug 2016)

Debut:

2017 for Belgium, World Championships in London, Great Britain (Athlete, 06 Nov 2019)

Start:

She took up Para athletics in December 2016 in Kapellen, Belgium. In 2018 she began practising long jump. (Athlete, 16 Jul 2017, 19 Aug 2018)

Reason:

Before the amputation of her leg, she enquired at the KAPE athletics club about training as a wheelchair athlete. A Belgian mobility group called Move All The Way lent her a handcycle until a number of charitable organisations helped her to buy one of her own. "I like a lot of sports. After my amputation I wanted to run again." (Athlete, 19 Aug 2018; gitteonwheels.simplesite.com, 27 Aug 2016)

Ambition:

To win a medal at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. (hln.be, 28 Dec 2020)

Memorable:

Winning silver in the T63 long jump and bronze in the T63 100m at the 2018 European Championships in Berlin, Germany. (zizomag.be, 26 Aug 2019)

Hero:

Belgian wheelchair racer Peter Genyn, Belgian heptathlete Nafissatou Thiam, Belgian boxer Delfine Persoon. (Athlete, 19 Aug 2018)

Influence:

Coach Mieke Van Thuyne. (Athlete, 06 Nov 2019)

Philosophy:

"When life punches, punch back harder." (Athlete, 16 Jul 2017)

General Interest

Classification
T63 (IPC, 15 Mar 2021)

Type of Impairment
Limb deficiency (Athlete, 16 Jul 2017)

Origin of Impairment
Acquired (Athlete, 19 Aug 2018)

Impairment Details
She was involved in Muay Thai boxing at an elite level when in 2010 she was accidentally kicked in her left knee at training, which tore her anterior cruciate ligament [ACL]. She had a series of operations and returned to the sport, but by 2014 her knee had deteriorated and she had chronic pain syndrome, as well as nerve damage in her leg. She was forced to stop boxing and her left leg was amputated above the knee in March 2016. "It was the best decision. I have more freedom and a purpose again. I can live again. After that amputation I could start my new life and I could set new goals. I have not regretted that decision for a second." (sporza.be, 27 Jan 2021, 27 Aug 2018; Athlete, 06 Nov 2019; gitteonwheels.simplesite.com, 27 Aug 2016; nieuwsblad.be, 07 Apr 2015)

General
OTHER ACTIVITIES
She is part of the Game Changers group, which is organised by the Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee [COIB] to promote gender equality and empower women in sports. "I can make a comparison between able-bodied and Paralympic athletes. I have the impression that in the latter category there is more gender equality. Through interviews with athletes, former athletes, board members, officials and coaches, and by encouraging girls and women to participate in sports through activities in schools and sports clubs, we hope to make girls enthusiastic about sport." (teambelgium.be, 12 Oct 2020; thebulletin.be, 12 Oct 2020; sportvisie.be, 06 Oct 2020)

FURTHER EDUCATION
In April 2018 she began studying nutrition at the Beauty School in Antwerp, Belgium. (Instagram profile, 09 Jul 2018, 17 Apr 2018)

Social Media

https://www.facebook.com/gitte.haenen
https://instagram.com/gitte_haenen
Athlete Website: http://gitte-haenen.simplesite.com/

Legend

:: Gold Medal Event
:: Silver Medal Event
:: Bronze Medal Event

Timing and scoring provided by OMEGA. Results powered by Atos