32 Belgian representatives and a record medal haul at the Youth Olympic Games
The third Youth Olympic Games ended on 18 October 2018 in Buenos Aires. The 4,000 athletes included 32 Belgians competing in no fewer than 20 different sports. With a total of nine medals, these Youth Olympic Games set a new record for the Belgian delegation.
The Youth Olympic Games (YOG) are a wonderful opportunity for young athletes. In addition to the experience, the event allows them to face the realities of a multi-disciplinary international competition. The YOG are for young people aged between 15 and 18 from around the world. This year, 32 athletes represented Belgium in 20 disciplines, winning a host of medals.
The Belgian medals consisted of two golds for Maite Beernaert in the long jump and Quentin Mahauden in karate; four silver medals for Badr Achab in Taekwondo, Jules Vangeel in kayak, Simon Morssinkhof in team horse-riding and the men's 3x3 basketball team; and three bronze medals for Alessia Corrao in judo, Senna Roos in archery and Julien Carraggi in team badminton.
Commenting on these results in a BOIC (Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee) press release, Team Belgium manager Gert Van Looy said that he was very pleased, "We finished with nine medals and the last one was a second gold. That's great! I think that this has been an unforgettable experience for these athletes."
After five medals in Singapore in 2010 and six in Nanjing four years later, this was another successful event for the Belgian athletes. The next Youth Olympic Games will be held in 2022 in Dakar (Senegal), the first African country to host the event.