Olympic medallists to be honoured on Grand Place on 3 September

Belgian athletes who won a medal at this summer’s Olympic Games will be honoured in a public ceremony on Friday, 3 September in Grand Place. The medallists will appear on the terrace of the City Hall at 16.00.

Belgium won seven medals at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Nafi Thiam won Olympic gold for the second time in the heptathlon (the only Belgian to ever defend an Olympic title), while gymnast Nina Derwael won gold in the uneven bars, and the Red Lions hockey team (pictured) brought home their first Olympic gold medal.

Cyclist Wout van Aert won silver in the road race, Belgium’s only silver medal at these Games. Belgians brought home three bronze medals: Matthias Casse for judo, Bashir Abdi for marathon and the equestrian jumping team.

While the athletes have been heralded by their own hometowns already, it will be the first time that all the medallists are together. They will appear at City Hall in the presence of several authorities, including Brussels-City mayor Philippe Close, sport city councillor Olav Spahl and Team Belgium chair Pierre-Olivier Beckers. Anyone wanting to enter Grand Place from 14.30 onward will need to have a Covid Certificate.

If you have a ticket to the Memorial Van Damme athletics event, also on 3 September, you can see all the medallists then, as they will appear at the opening ceremony at approximately 19.00. And all Belgium’s Olympic athletes will be present in the tributes, taking a walk around the track together at the end of the evening.

Photo: The Red Lions field hockey team took to the centre of Brussel earlier this month to celebrate their gold medal win
©Virginie Lefour/BELGA