Merel_Maes

Merel Maes

Merel Maes

Belgian athlete (born 2005)

Merel Maes (born 22 January 2005) is a Belgian high jumper. She is a multiple-time national champion.

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Early life

A keen footballer from the age of seven, she played as a full back for East Flemish provincial team Vrasene. She started the high jump in 2017.[1]

Career

2020

In August 2020 as a 15 year-old, she won the Belgian Athletics Championships title in the high jump for the first time, setting a Belgian U16 record of 1.79 metres.[2][3]

2021

In February 2021, whilst still 16 years-old, she won the high jump at the 2021 Belgian Indoor Athletics Championships with a personal best height of 1.91 metres. This was a 10cm improvement from her 1.81m best in 2020.[4][5] She was the youngest competitor at the 2021 European Athletics Indoor Championships in Toruń in March.[6]

She was runner-up at the Belgian Athletics Championships in Brussels in June 2021, with a height of 1.88 metres.[7] She finished fifth at the 2021 World Athletics U20 Championships in Nairobi with a 1.84m clearance.[8]

2022

She finished third at the Belgian Championships in Gentbrugge in June 2022, clearing 1.82 metres.[9] She won bronze at the 2022 European Athletics U18 Championships in Jerusalem with a height of 1.86 metres.[10] She finished fifth at the 2022 World Athletics U20 Championships in Cali, Colombia with a height of 1.88 metres.[11]

2023

In February 2023, she won the high jump at the 2023 Belgian Indoor Athletics Championships in Ghent.[12] She finished second in the Division I high jump competition at the 2023 European Athletics Team Championships in Silesia in June 2023, equalling her personal best of 1.92 metres and only losing on count back to Nawal Meniker of France.[13] In July 2023, she equaled the Belgian U20 record set by Sabrina De Leeuw in 1993, with a 1.93m clearance in Kortrijk.[14] She finished sixth at the 2023 European Athletics U20 Championships in Jerusalem.[15] She won the Belgian national title again in July 2023 clearing a height of 1.80 metres in poor weather conditions in Bruges.[16]

In August 2023, she made her senior major global championship debut, at the age of 18 years-old, at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest. She cleared a height of 1.89 metres without qualifying for the final.[17][18]

2024

She was selected for the 2024 European Athletics Championships in Rome in June 2024.[19]

References

  1. [1]
    Jacobs, Hans (20 February 2021). "Who is Merel Maes? 16-year-old high jump phenomenon who also plays provincial football for the boys". Nieuwsblad.be. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  2. [2]
    "Is Merel Maes from Haasdonk the new Tia Hellebaut". tvoost.be. August 17, 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  3. [3]
    "Belgian Indoor Championships". World Athletics. 16 February 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  4. [4]
    "World U20 Championships previews: women's jumps and throws". World Athletics. 13 August 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  5. [5]
    "Merel Maes, 16 years old and top in the high jump: "Mature and down-to-earth"". Sporza.be. February 23, 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  6. [6]
    "Torun's youngest Euro athlete, Merel Maes "didn't expect all that"". rtbf.be. 5 March 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  7. [7]
    "Belgian Championships". World Athletics. 25 June 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  8. [8]
    "Merel Maes jumps to 5th place at the U20 World Championships with 1.84 meters". Sporza.be. August 22, 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  9. [9]
    "Belgian Championships". World Athletics. 25 June 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  10. [10]
    "Parviainen sets European U18 javelin best in Jerusalem". World Athletics. 6 July 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  11. [11]
    "High jumper Merel Maes finishes fifth again at the U20 Athletics World Championships". Nieuwsblad.be. 7 August 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  12. [12]
    "Belgian Indoor Championships". World Athletics. 19 February 2023. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  13. [13]
    "Team champions for the first time! Italy dominates in Silesia 2023". European Athletics. 25 June 2023. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  14. [14]
    "High jumper Merel Maes equals the Belgian U20 record and does better than Thiam at that age". Sporza.be. July 8, 2023. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  15. [15]
    Monbaillu, Laurent (9 August 2023). "Euro juniors in Jerusalem: Merel Maes finishes sixth in the high jump final, Ides Verhulst eighth in the javelin". dhnet.be. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  16. [16]
    Goosens, Willy (30 July 2023). "Ruben Verheyden extends his national title in an exciting 1500 meters: "And now continue working towards the World Championships in Budapest"". Nieuwsblad.be. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  17. [17]
    De Bock, Jolien (25 August 2023). "WK Boedapest – Merel Maes mist gouden kans op plaats in hoogspringfinale". atni.be. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  18. [18]
    "Merel Maes (18) narrowly misses the World Cup final: "And yet I am satisfied"". Nieuwsblad.be. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  19. [19]
    "Belgium with 59 athletes to the European Athletics Championships, Cynthia Bolingo does not start individually". Nieuwsblad.be. 30 May 2024. Retrieved 3 June 2024.


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