5 Belgian athletes to remember
In a society as plural as Belgium, there is one main factor that unites: sport. Equally important are elite athletes who inspire and motivate their country. But nowadays, who are the five contemporary top sports personalities from Belgium?
1. Thibaut Courtois
It is well known that the Belgian National football Team has high quality players, but one of the most outstanding is goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois who debuted with only sixteen years at KRC Genk. The current player of Chelsea FC was elected Best Goalkeeper LFP Awards in 2013 and awarded The Gold Glove of the Premier League in 2017.
2. Nafissatou Thiam
Second on the list is the young Belgian athlete Nafissatou Thiam who won the Heptathlon at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro 2016. Moreover the following year, Nafissatou took the first place in the European Championship on Indoor Track in Belgrade.
3. David Goffin
Nicknamed “La Goff”, the Belgian professional tennis player David Goffin is ranked as the eleventh best player in the world, according to the Association of Professional Tennis Players (ATP). He is considered the Belgian number one male tennis player in 2017. Goffin, who became the first Belgian male player to reach the Top 10 ATP, has beaten several top-ranked players like Novak Djokovic, Milos Raonic, Dominic Thiem and Tomáš Berdych.
4. Philippe Gilbert
Belgian athlete Philippe Gilbert became the second cyclist in history to win the triptych of the Ardennes in 2011. Other notable victories include the Road World Championship, twice winner of the Lombardy Giro, four times the Amstel Gold Race, twice Paris-Tours and the Omloop Het Volk. He is one of the few cyclists that has managed to win stages in Giro de Italia, Tour de France and Tour of Spain.
5. Kevin De Bruyne
Considered one of the best midfielders in Europe, Kevin De Bruyne is a player of Manchester City and the Belgian National Team. He began his career at the young age of eight and made his debut at KRC Genk. De Bruyne is currently recognized for his great technique and long range shooting skills. The player was elected Belgian Athlete of the year 2015.
