Ruben Verheyden
{{Short description|Belgian middle-distance runner}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Ruben Verheyden
| fullname =
| nickname =
| image = Ruben Verheyden 2023 (cropped).jpg
| imagesize = 160px
| caption = Verheyden in 2023
| nationality = Belgian
| sport = Track and Field
| universityteam =
| club =
| turnedpro =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2000|12|22|df=y}}
| birth_place =
| country = {{BEL}}
| coach = Kim Barbé
| height =
| weight =
| pb = {{ubl
|Outdoor{{iaaf name|14754671}}
|800 m: 1:45.69 (Brussels 2024)
|5000 m: 14:32.64 (Herve 2021)
|Indoor
}}
| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Men's athletics }}
{{MedalCountry | {{BEL}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|European Cross Country Championships}}
{{Medal|Silver|2024 Antalya|Senior team}}
{{Medal|Bronze|2021 Dublin|Mixed relay}}
{{MedalCompetition|European U23 Championships}}
{{MedalGold| 2021 Tallinn|1500 m}}
}}
Ruben Verheyden (born 22 December 2000) is a Belgian middle-distance runner, who specializes in the 1500 metres.
He won a bronze medal at the 2021 European Cross Country Championships in the Mixed relay with his teammates Vanessa Scaunet, Elise Vanderelst and Stijn Baeten.{{Cite web|date=2021-12-12|title=Belgium takes bronze at Euro cross country mixed relay|url=https://www.brusselstimes.com/197524/belgium-takes-bronze-at-euro-cross-country-mixed-relay|access-date=2024-09-10|website=The Brussels Times}}
He won the 1500m at the 2022 Belgian Athletics Championships, and the same event at the 2021 and 2022 Belgian Indoor Athletics Championships.[https://m.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20210221_92161330 Merel Maes niet te stuiten: “Overweldigend”], Het Nieuwsblad, 21 February 2021 He also won the 1500 m at the 2021 European Athletics U23 Championships.{{Cite web |url=https://tallinn21-u23results.european-athletics.com/resEU23CH-/pdf/EU23CH-/ATH/EU23CH-_ATH_C73G_ATHM1500M-------------FNL-000100--.pdf |title=Final Results |access-date=2021-07-14 |url-status= }}
In 2024, Verheyden fell just short of the podium in fourth place at the 2024 European Athletics Championships and with a personal best time of 3:33.40 qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.{{Cite web |url=https://www.belganewsagency.eu/belgium-ends-european-athletics-with-six-medals-thanks-to-jochem-vermeulen |title=European Athletics Championships: Belgium finish tournament with six medals |date=2024-06-12 |access-date=2024-08-16 |url-status= }} At those Olympics, Verheyden, 12th in his heat and 10th in the repechages, failed to qualify for the semi-finals.{{Cite web |url=https://www.lalibre.be/dernieres-depeches/2024/08/03/jo-2024-jochem-vermeulen-et-ruben-verheyden-elimines-en-repechages-sur-1500-m-R2W5ISLX7FELLFEPKE3XJ3OOBY/ |title=JO 2024 - Jochem Vermeulen et Ruben Verheyden éliminés en repêchages sur 1.500 m |date=2024-08-03 |access-date=2024-08-16 |language=french }} In December 2024, he picked up a silver medal with the Belgium men's team at the 2024 European Cross Country Championships in Antalya, Turkey.{{cite web|url=https://www.european-athletics.com/news/ingebrigstsen-wins-third-senior-title-in-dominant-style-in-antalya-2024-|website=European Athletics|access-date=10 December 2024|title= Ingebrigtsen wins third senior title in dominant style in Antalya 2024|date=8 December 2024}}
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Footer U23 European Champions 1500m Men}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Verheyden, Ruben}}
Category:Belgian male middle-distance runners
Category:Olympic athletes for Belgium
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2024 Summer Olympics
Category:21st-century Belgian sportsmen
{{Belgium-athletics-bio-stub}}