Imke Vervaet

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Imke Vervaet

| image = Imke Vervaet - EJK 2011.jpg

| caption = Vervaet in 2018

| nationality = Belgian

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1993|4|11|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Ghent, Belgium

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height =

| weight =

| sport = Athletics

| event = Sprinting

| show-medals = yes

| medaltemplates =

{{Medal|Country|{{BEL}}}}

}}

Imke Vervaet (born 11 April 1993) is a Belgian athlete.{{cite web |url=https://www.iaaf.org/athletes/belgium/imke-vervaet-264571 |title=Imke Vervaet |publisher=IAAF |accessdate=29 September 2019}} She competed at the 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics as a 200 metres runner and as a member of the Belgian women's 4x400 metres and mixed 4x400 metres relay teams. She also participated at multiple World and European Athletics championships, indoor and outdoor, individually and as a member of the 4x400 metres relay teams. She was national champion in the women's 200 metres in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2024.

Career

=2019=

She ran in the heats of the mixed 4 × 400 metres relay event at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar qualifying with the Belgium team for the final and the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.{{cite web |url=https://media.aws.iaaf.org/competitiondocuments/pdf/6033/AT-4X4-X-h----.SL2.pdf |title=4 x 400 Metres Relay Mixed - Round 1 |work=IAAF (Doha 2019) |access-date=29 September 2019}}{{cite web |url=https://www.atni.be/2019/09/28/team-gemengde-4x400m-met-br-naar-finale-en-olympische-spelen/ |title=Team gemengde 4x400m met BR naar finale én Olympische Spelen |website=www.atni.be |access-date=26 August 2024 |date=28 September 2019 |language=dutch}} Later that week, she also ran in the heats and final of the women's 4 × 400 metres relay event, finishing 5th in the final and again qualifying with the team for the 2020 Summer Olympics.{{cite web |url=https://www.lesoir.be/251841/article/2019-10-05/mondiaux-dathletisme-les-belgian-cheetahs-brisent-le-record-de-belgique-et-se |title=Mondiaux d’athlétisme: les Belgian Cheetahs brisent le record de Belgique et se qualifient pour la finale |publisher=Le Soir |access-date=26 August 2024 |date=5 October 2019 |language=french}}{{cite web |url=https://sporza.be/nl/2019/10/06/belgian-cheetahs-6e-wk-doha-4x400-meter/ |title=Belgian Cheetahs snellen naar 5e plaats in eerste WK-finale |publisher=Sporza |access-date=26 August 2024 |date=6 October 2019 |language=dutch}} In between, she also ran a personal best of 23.24s in the heats of the women's 200 metres event but missed out on the semi-finals.{{cite web |url=https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-championships/iaafworld-athletics-championships-doha-2019-7125365/results/women/200-metres/heats/summary |title=200 Metres Women |publisher=World Athletics |access-date=26 August 2019}}

=2020=

In 2020, she won the silver medal in the women's long jump event at the 2020 Belgian Indoor Athletics Championships held in Ghent, Belgium.{{Cite web |title=Women's long jump |url=http://www.toastit-live.be/results/2020/feb/zo16/event011h01.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200222225603/http://www.toastit-live.be/results/2020/feb/zo16/event011h01.html |archive-date=22 February 2020 |access-date=18 July 2020 |website=2020 Belgian Indoor Athletics Championships}}

=2021=

In May 2021, at the World Athletics Relays in Chorzów, Poland, she was on the team that qualified Belgium for the women's 4 × 400 metres relay at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Oregon, USA.{{cite web | url=https://www.atletiek.be/nieuws/world-relays-perfect-rapport-met-drie-finales | title=WORLD RELAYS: PERFECT RAPPORT MET DRIE FINALES | website=www.atletiek.be | access-date=26 August 2024 | date=2 May 2021 | language=dutch}}

Having qualified for the women's 200 metres at the 2020 Summer Olympic Games via the World Athletics Rankings, she finished 4th in her round 1 heat, setting a personal best of 23.05s,{{cite web | url=https://www.atni.be/2021/08/02/imke-vervaet-verpulvert-persoonlijk-record-en-staat-in-halve-finales-200-meter/| title=Imke Vervaet verpulvert persoonlijk record en staat in halve finales 200 meter | website=www.atni.be | access-date=27 August 2024 | date=2 August 2021 | language=dutch}} and proceeded to the semi-finals where she finished 7th and was eliminated.{{cite web | url=https://worldathletics.org/competition/calendar-results/results/7132391?eventId=10229510 | title=The XXXII Olympic Games - Women's 200 Metres | publisher=World Athletics | access-date=26 August 2024}} She also ran in the heats and final of the women's 4 × 400 metres relay with the Belgium team finishing 7th in the final{{cite web | url=https://worldathletics.org/competition/calendar-results/results/7132391?eventId=204596&gender=W | title=The XXXII Olympic Games - Women's 4x400 Metres Relay | publisher=World Athletics | access-date=26 August 2024}} as well as in the heats and final of the mixed 4 × 400 metres relay with the Belgium team finishing 5th in the final.{{cite web | url=https://worldathletics.org/competition/calendar-results/results/7132391?eventId=10229988&gender=X | title=The XXXII Olympic Games - Mixed 4x400 Metres Relay | publisher=World Athletics | access-date=26 August 2024}}

=2022=

In March 2022, she ran in the heats and final of the women's 4 × 400 metres relay at the 2022 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Belgrade, Serbia finishing 6th in the final.{{cite web | url=https://worldathletics.org/competition/calendar-results/results/7138985?eventId=204610 | title=World Athletics Indoor Championships, Beograd 2022 - 4x400 Metres Relay women | publisher=World Athletics | access-date=27 August 2024}}

In July 2022 she ran in the heats and final of the women's 4 × 400 metres relay at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon again finishing 6th in the final.{{cite web | url=https://worldathletics.org/results/world-athletics-championships/2022/world-athletics-championships-oregon-2022-7137279/women/4x400-metres-relay/final/result | title=World Athletics Championships, Oregon 2022 - 4x400 Metres Relay women | publisher=World Athletics | access-date=27 August 2024}}{{cite web | url=https://www.standaard.be/cnt/dmf20220725_91117887 | title=Belgian Tornados halen brons op 4x400 meter, Cheetahs zesde | publisher=De Standaard |date=25 July 2022 | access-date=27 August 2024 |language=dutch}} She also participated in the women's 200 metres but was eliminated in the heats.{{cite web | url=https://worldathletics.org/results/world-athletics-championships/2022/world-athletics-championships-oregon-2022-7137279/women/200-metres/heats/result | title=World Athletics Championships, Oregon 2022 - 200 Metres women | publisher=World Athletics | access-date=27 August 2024}} Barely a month later, she ran in the heats of the women's 4 × 400 metres relay at the 2022 European Athletics Championships in Munich, Germany finishing 2nd and qualifying the Belgian team for the final but was replaced in the final.{{cite web | url=https://worldathletics.org/competition/calendar-results/results/7147634?eventId=204596 | title=European Athletics Championships - Olympiastadion, München (GER) - Women's 4x400 Metres Relay | publisher=World Athletics | access-date=27 August 2024}}

=2023=

In August 2023, she ran in the heats and final of the mixed 4 × 400 metres relay at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary finishing 5th in the final.{{cite web | url=https://worldathletics.org/competition/calendar-results/results/7138987?eventId=10229988&gender=X | title=World Athletics Championships, Budapest 2023 - 4x400 Metres Relay mixed | publisher=World Athletics | access-date=27 August 2024}} And as in 2022, she ran in the heats and final of the women's 4 × 400 metres relay at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary also finishing 5th in the final, one place better than in 2022.{{cite web | url=https://worldathletics.org/results/world-athletics-championships/2022/world-athletics-championships-oregon-2022-7137279/women/200-metres/heats/result | title=World Athletics Championships, Budapest 2023 - 4x400 Metres Relay women | publisher=World Athletics | access-date=27 August 2024}}

=2024=

In March 2024, she ran in the heats of the women's 4 × 400 metres relay at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, helping the team to qualify for the final. {{cite web | url=https://worldathletics.org/competition/calendar-results/results/7180312?eventId=204610 | title=World Athletics Indoor Championships - Glasgow Arena, Glasgow (GBR) - 4x400 Metres Relay women | publisher=World Athletics | access-date=27 August 2024}}

In May 2024, at the World Athletics Relays in The Bahamas, she was on the teams that qualified Belgium for the 4 × 400 metres mixed relay and the women's 4 × 400 metres relay at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, France.{{cite web | url=https://www.rtbf.be/article/athletisme-les-tornados-et-le-relais-mixte-qualifies-pour-paris-repechage-pour-les-cheetahs-et-les-relais-4x100-11369232 | title=World Relays : les Tornados et le relais mixte qualifiés pour Paris, repêchage pour les Cheetahs et les relais 4X100 | publisher=RTBF |date=5 May 2024 | accessdate=13 June 2024 |language=French}}{{cite web | url=https://www.lalibre.be/dernieres-depeches/2024/05/06/world-relays-les-belgian-cheetahs-decrochent-leur-entree-aux-jo-lors-des-repechages-du-4x400-m-dames-SZ2ENDICLBGIZBPVOE3QZWKCDM/ | title=World Relays - Les Belgian Cheetahs décrochent leur entrée aux JO lors des repêchages du 4x400 m dames | publisher=La Libre Belgique |date=6 May 2024 | accessdate=13 June 2024 |language=French}} And later that same year, she was on the Belgian 4 x 400 metres women's relay team that won a bronze medal at the European Athletics Championships.{{cite web | url=https://www.belganewsagency.eu/gold-and-bronze-for-belgian-men-and-women-in-4x400m-relay | title=Gold and bronze for Belgian men and women in 4x400m relay | publisher=Belga (news agency) |date=12 June 2024 | accessdate=13 June 2024 |language=French}} Having qualified for the women's 200 metres at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games via the World Athletics Rankings,{{cite web | url=https://worldathletics.org/stats-zone/road-to/7153115?eventId=10229510 | title=Road to Paris 24 | publisher=World Athletics | access-date=26 August 2024}} she finished 7th in her round 1 heat and was eliminated in the repechages.{{cite web | url=https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/results/athletics/women-s-200m/rnd1-------- | title=WOMEN'S 200M ROUND 1 RESULTS | website=www.olympics.com | access-date=26 August 2024}}{{cite web | url=https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/results/athletics/women-s-200m/rep--------- | title=WOMEN'S 200M REPECHAGE ROUND RESULTS | website=www.olympics.com | access-date=26 August 2024}} She also ran in the heats and final of the women's 4 × 400 metres relay with the Belgium team finishing 7th in the final.{{cite web | url=https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/results/athletics/women-s-4-x-400m-relay/fnl-000100-- | title=WOMEN'S 4 X 400M RELAY FINAL RESULTS | website=www.olympics.com | access-date=26 August 2024}}

=2025=

In February 2025, she set an indoor Belgian national of 23.01s on the 200 metres, breaking her own record dating from February 2023.{{cite web |url=https://sporza.be/nl/2025/02/23/imke-vervaet-verpulvert-haar-eigen-belgisch-record-op-de-200-met~1740338733218/ |title=Imke Vervaet verpulvert haar eigen Belgisch record op de 200 meter |publisher=Sporza |access-date=24 February 2025 |date=23 February 2025 |language=dutch |trans-title=Imke Vervaet smashes her own Belgian record in the 200 meters}} In March, she won a silver medal at the 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn, The Netherlands as a member of Belgium's 4×400 m mixed relay team.{{cite web |url=https://www.european-athletics.com/home/news/femke-bol-inspires-dutch-to-historic-4x400m-mixed-relay-title-at-apeldoorn-2025 |title=Femke Bol inspires Dutch to historic 4x400m mixed relay title at Apeldoorn 2025 |publisher=European Athletic Association |access-date=6 March 2025 |date=6 March 2025}} {{cite web |url=https://sporza.be/nl/2025/02/24/zilver-gemengde-estafetteploeg-schenkt-belgie-meteen-medaille-op-openingsdag-ek-indoor~1740393880089/ |title=ZILVER! Gemengde estafetteploeg schenkt België meteen medaille op openingsdag EK indoor |publisher=Sporza |access-date=6 March 2025 |date=6 March 2025 |language=dutch |trans-title=SILVER! Mixed relay team immediately awards Belgium with medal on opening day of European Indoor Championships}}