Tia Hellebaut Belgian athlete and Olympic champion Date of Birth: 16.02.1978 Country: Belgium

1. Biography of Tia Hellebaut
2. Early Career
3. Olympic and European Championships
4. Return to Competition and Olympic Gold
5. Retirement and Return

Biography of Tia Hellebaut

Tia Hellebaut is a Belgian athlete and Olympic champion. She began her career in heptathlon before transitioning to high jump. Hellebaut holds several Belgian records in heptathlon, pentathlon (indoor), and high jump in both indoor and outdoor competitions.

Early Career

Hellebaut started competing professionally at Atletiek Vlaanderen from 2001 to October 2005. From November 1, 2006, she continued her professional career with Bloso. During the most productive phase of her career, Hellebaut was coached by her partner, Wim Vandeven, at the Atletica 84 sports club.

Olympic and European Championships

Hellebaut won gold in high jump at the European Championships in 2006 and the European Indoor Championships in 2007. Her victory in 2006 was particularly significant as it happened just minutes before her friend and compatriot Kim Gevaert achieved a record-breaking double sprint. The image of the two athletes wrapped in the national flag celebrating their joint victory is considered one of the most important moments in Belgian sports history.

In 2007, Hellebaut set her fourth record in pentathlon. Due to illness, she chose to only participate in high jump at the subsequent European Indoor Championships, where she won another gold medal. Injuries to her ankle and shoulder affected her performance in the 2007 season, preventing her from competing in heptathlon and javelin throw.

Return to Competition and Olympic Gold

In 2008, Hellebaut made a comeback in combined events and became the world champion in pentathlon in Valencia. During the same competition, she set another record in high jump for women in mixed events, clearing 1.99 meters. At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Hellebaut reached the peak of her career by winning gold in high jump. She surpassed the favorite, Croatian athlete Blanka Vlašić, and set a new personal record for open-air stadiums at 2.05 meters. Hellebaut became the first Belgian woman to win a gold medal at the Olympics, narrowly missing the opportunity to be the first Belgian medalist overall as her compatriots had won silver in the 4x100 meters relay the day before.

Retirement and Return

On December 5, 2008, Hellebaut announced her pregnancy and decided to leave professional sports to work in a marketing company. In 2009, after the return of fellow Belgian athlete Kim Clijsters to professional tennis after giving birth, Hellebaut decided to return to athletics. On February 16, 2010, she announced her comeback and focused solely on high jump. It is expected that she will compete in the 2012 Summer Olympics. In 2008, Hellebaut was named Belgian Sportswoman of the Year, and in 2009, she was awarded the Order of the Crown, one of Belgium's highest honors. Throughout her career, Hellebaut set 13 personal records and 20 Belgian records in various events including hurdles, triple jump, shot put, javelin throw, sprints, long jump, high jump, heptathlon, and pentathlon.