The Memorial van Damme is an annual track and field event at the Stade Roi Baudouin in Brussels, Belgium that takes place end of August. Since 1998, it is part of the IAAF Golden League, the fifth meeting of a total of six events. The former Heysel Stadium host to elite athletes and 50,000 spectators from across the world.
It was first organized in 1977 by a group of journalists in honor of Ivo van Damme, a Belgian double medal winner at the Montreal Olympics who was killed just a few weeks later in a car accident at the age of 22. A former football player, he turned to athletics and in particular the 1500m and 3000m disciplines. Later on, he discovered the 800m. In 1976, he took part in the Montreal Olympic Games, where he won silver medals in both the 800m and 1500m.
The athletes, winning in the same discipline in all the Golden League events, can claim a share of the jackpot which was 1 million dollars in 2004.
World records
2004
2001
1997
1996
1995
1981
External links