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Tia Hellebaut

Personal information
Date of birth	February 16, 1978 (1978-02-16) (age 31)
Place of birth	Antwerp
Height	1.82 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in)
Weight	62 kilograms (137 lb)
Sport
Country	Belgium
Achievements and titles
Olympics	1st (Beijing, 2008)
Highest world ranking	2nd (Athens, 2006)
Personal best(s)	High jump (outdoor): 2.05 m High jump (indoor): 2.05 m[1]

Medal record
Competitor for  Belgium
Olympic Games
Gold	2008 Beijing	High jump
World Indoor Championships
Gold	2008 Valencia	Pentathlon
European Championships
Gold	2006 Gothenburg	High jump
European Indoor Championships
Gold	2007 Birmingham	High jump

Tia Hellebaut (born February 16, 1978 in Antwerp, Belgium) is a Belgian Olympic champion and former athlete who used to be active in the heptathlon, but afterwards specialized in the high jump event. She holds the Belgian records for heptathlon, indoor pentathlon, and high jump, both indoors and outdoors. ^[2]

She was a professional athlete with Atletiek Vlaanderen in the period from 2001 to October 2005. From November 1, 2006 she again became a professional athlete, this time at Bloso. During her most successful period, Hellebaut was trained by her partner, Wim Vandeven, at her club, Atletica 84.

At the 2006 European Championships and 2007 Indoor European Championships Hellebaut won the gold medal in high jump. The 2006 victory became especially notable, when just a couple of minutes later her close friend and compatriot Kim Gevaert completed a historical sprint double. The images of both athletes celebrating their victory together, wrapped in a national flag, became part of Belgian sports history.

In 2007 Hellebaut set the fourth best pentathlon score of all time, but chose not to contest the European Indoor Championships because of illness, choosing instead to compete only in the high jump, which she later won. Most of the remainder of her 2007 high jump season was hampered by an ankle injury. A shoulder injury, which made it difficult for her to throw the javelin, ended her career in heptathlon around this time.

For the 2008 indoor season, Hellebaut returned her focus to multi-events and became world champion of pentathlon at the World Indoor Championships in Valencia, where she set a secord for the best high jump result in a women's multi-event competition, clearing 1.99 m.^[3]

At the 2008 Summer Olympics, held in Beijing, Hellebaut reached her pinnacle by winning the gold medal in the high jump, ahead of the favorite, Blanka Vlašić of Croatia, with a new outdoor personal best of 2.05 m. Her achievement represented the first-ever athletics gold medal in the Olympics for a Belgian woman, and only the second of any color, one day after Belgium won their first (silver) medal in the 4×100m relay.

On 5 December 2008, Hellebaut announced her pregnancy and her retirement from professional athletics. On June 9, 2009, Hellebaut gave birth to a daughter named Lotte.

After her active career, Hellebaut started working for a sports marketing company.

International achievements

Personal records

Hellebaut warming up before competing

Belgian records

Internal links

• List of Belgian records in athletics

External links

• Tia Hellebaut Official Website
• Tia Hellebaut Pictures
• 2008 Olympics gold medal jump (video)
• Tia Hellebaut Interview

References

Sporting positions
Preceded by Anna Chicherova	European Indoor High Jump champion 2007	Succeeded by Ariane Friedrich
Awards
Preceded by Kim Gevaert	Gouden Spike 2006	Succeeded by Kim Gevaert
Preceded by Kathleen Smet	Vlaams Sportjuweel 2006	Succeeded by Women's 4x100 m team (Olivia Borlée, Kim Gevaert, Hanna Mariën, Elodie Ouedraogo)
Preceded by Justine Henin	Belgian Sportswoman of the Year 2008	Succeeded by Kim Clijsters
Preceded by Justine Henin	Belgian Sports Personality of the Year 2008	Succeeded by Incumbent
Preceded by Kim Gevaert	Gouden Spike 2008	Succeeded by Incumbent