Kim Gevaert wins women's 100m final at European athletics championships
{{date|August 10, 2006}}
{{2006EuropeanChampionshipsAthletics}}
<!--[[File:Kim Gevaert 2002.jpg|right|thumb|200px|[[w:Kim Gevaert|Kim Gevaert]] at the start of round three of the women's 100 meter at the [[w:European Championships in Athletics|European Championships in Athletics]] 2002 in [[w:Munich|Munich]].]]-->
Kim Gevaert became the first [[w:Belgium|Belgian]] [[w:Sprint|sprinter]] to win gold at the [[w:European Championships in Athletics|European Championships]] in 35 years on Wednesday, when she ran the [[w:100 metres|100m sprint]] final in 11.06 seconds. Before her, only two Belgian men finished first in these Championships, [[w:Gaston Roelants|Gaston Roelants]] at the 3000m [[w:Steeplechase (athletics)|steeplechase]] in [[w:Belgrado|Belgrado]] in 1962 and [[w:Karel Lismont|Karel Lismont]] at the [[w:Marathon|marathon]] in [[w:Helsinki|Helsinki]] in 1971.

Lidiya Grigoryeva and [[w:Irina Khabarova|Irina Khabarova]] from [[w:Russia|Russia]] tied for the second place in 11.22 seconds in the 100m sprint. Joice Maduka from the [[w:United Kingdom|United Kingdom]] came in fourth (11.24), followed by Gushchina (11.31), Nesterenko (11.34), Félix (11.40) and Onysko (11.43).

"Everything went perfect," Gevaert said, just after the race. She also put things into perspective: "It's just sports."  For Gevaert, who just turned 28, it is the summit of her career so far. Previous major achievements include two titles in the [[w:2002 European Indoor Athletics Championships|2002]] and [[w:2005 European Indoor Athletics Championships|2005 European Indoor Athletics Championships]], and in the 60m final of the [[w:IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics|World Indoor Championships]], a 2nd place in 2004 and a 3rd place in 2006. This is her 11th medal on an international championship.

Gevaert, who studied [[w:Speech therapy|speech therapy]] at the [[w:Katholieke Universiteit Leuven|University of Leuven]] also qualified for the 200m in [[w:Gothenburg|Gothenburg]], [[Sweden]], the scene for the quadrennial event. In 2002, she won second place in the 200m of the European Championship. "Chapter one finished," she said "now it's just the gold in the 200m."

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== Sources ==
*{{source|url=http://www.standaard.be/Artikel/Detail.aspx?artikelId=GDD103ITS
 |title=The secret of Kim Gevaert.
 |author=Hans Jacobs
 |pub=De Standaard
 |date=August 10, 2006
 |lang=nl}}
*{{source|url=http://www.iaaf.org/athletes/athlete%3D110255/
 |title=IAAF Results of Kim Gevaert
 |author=
 |pub=International Association of Athletics Federations
 |date=August 10, 2006}}
*{{source|url=http://www.standaard.be/Artikel/Detail.aspx?artikelId=GKM103R1P
 |title="I've waited for this moment for so long."
 |author=Hans Jacobs
 |pub=De Standaard
 |date=August 10, 2006
 |lang=nl}}
*{{source|url=http://www.kimgevaert.be
 |title=Kim Gevaert's Homepage
 |author=
 |pub=Kim Gevaert
 |date=August 10, 2006
 |lang=nl}}
*{{source|url=http://www.gva.be/nieuws/sport/atletiek/default.asp?art={149C62B4-71F5-4054-B569-E7A1114A461B}
 |title=Kim Gevaert fastest women of Europe
 |author=
 |pub=Gazet van Antwerpen
 |date=August 9, 2006
 |lang=nl}}
*{{source|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/athletics/4776837.stm
 |title=Gevaert wins as Maduaka edged out
 |author=
 |pub=BBC Sport
 |date=August 9, 2006}}

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[[Category:Athletics]]
[[Category:Belgium]]
[[Category:Sweden]]
[[Category:Europe]]
[[Category:Women's sports]]

[[fr:Kim Gevaert remporte la finale du 100 mètres dames aux championnats d'Europe d'athlétisme]]
[[nl:Gouden dag voor België]]
Kim Gevaert became the first Belgian sprinter to win gold at the European Championships in 35 years on Wednesday, when she ran the 100m sprint final in 11.06 seconds. Before her, only two Belgian men finished first in these Championships, Gaston Roelants at the 3000m steeplechase in Belgrado in 1962 and Karel Lismont at the marathon in Helsinki in 1971.

Lidiya Grigoryeva and Irina Khabarova from Russia tied for the second place in 11.22 seconds in the 100m sprint. Joice Maduka from the United Kingdom came in fourth (11.24), followed by Gushchina (11.31), Nesterenko (11.34), Félix (11.40) and Onysko (11.43).

"Everything went perfect," Gevaert said, just after the race. She also put things into perspective: "It's just sports."  For Gevaert, who just turned 28, it is the summit of her career so far. Previous major achievements include two titles in the 2002 and 2005 European Indoor Athletics Championships, and in the 60m final of the World Indoor Championships, a 2nd place in 2004 and a 3rd place in 2006. This is her 11th medal on an international championship.

Gevaert, who studied speech therapy at the University of Leuven also qualified for the 200m in Gothenburg, Sweden, the scene for the quadrennial event. In 2002, she won second place in the 200m of the European Championship. "Chapter one finished," she said "now it's just the gold in the 200m."
Athletics Belgium Sweden Europe Women's sports