English
The Hall of Fame will feature several star athletes who have made the Memorial into the leading international meeting it is today: world-class athletes who shone in Brussels more than once. Every year two athletes will be added to the Hall of Fame.
Heike Drechsler and Steve Cram have the honour of being the first names in the Hall of Fame. German sprint and long jump phenomenon Heike Drechsler competed seven times at the Memorial and won the long jump six times. With her 7m25 jump in 1991 she established a new stadium record which still stands today.
Steve Cram won four out of his five races on the 1500 metres and ran the second best time in history in 1986.
Finally, there is also a third Hall of Fame spot for Wilfried Meert. The spiritual father of the Memorial and long time event director handed over the reins to Cédric van Branteghem, but he will always be the man who helped put together the Memorial as a tribute to Ivo Van Damme. For 40 years Meert directed the event through many different eras, developing it into a world-leading athletics event.
AUCTION FOR THOUSANDS HILLS OF HOPE
Traditionally during the gala dinner the ‘painting of the Memorial’ was auctioned off for charity. For the first time in the 41-year history of the Memorial the painting was made by an African artist. Munana Gatera, born on 12 March 1974, holds the Rwandese nationality. As a 13-year old, he ended up in Belgium, first in Beauraing and later in Aywaille, but now he lives in the Brussels municipality of Saint-Gilles, where he has a workshop.
Herman Reynaerts won the auction with a bid of 5000 euro. The auction’s proceedings will integrally go to Thousand Hills of Hope.
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