Jacques Borlée

Jacques Borlée (born 27 September 1957) is a former Belgian athlete, and the father and coach of athletes Olivia Borlée (b. 1986), Kevin (b. 1988), Jonathan (b. 1988) and Dylan Borlée (b. 1992). He was voted European Athletics Coach of the Year in 2011.

He is the progenitor of the Borlée family.

Early life Jacques Borlée was born in Stanleyville, in the Belgian Congo, in 1957, three years before the independence of the country. His father was the last Belgian governor of the Kivu province. The family moved to Brussels in Belgium in 1960. Jacques Borlée married Edith de Maertelaere, a former Belgian champion over 200m runner. Jacques Borlée also has two children from a second marriage. He was Belgian champion over 100m in 1981 and 1983, Belgian champion over 200m in 1979, 1981, 1983 and 1984, Belgian champion over 400m in 1982, and Belgian champion over 400m hurdles in 1977. In 1983, he won a silver medal at the 1983 European Athletics Indoor Championships in Budapest over 200m. In 1980, he competed at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, reaching the quarterfinals of the 400 meters. At the 1978 European Athletics Championships in Prague he ended fifth as part of the 4 × 400 m relay team. At the 1982 European Athletics Championships in Athens, he ended fifth in his first round race over 400m.

His personal record over 400m is 45.4 seconds, set in 1979. He also coaches the men's 4x400 relay team. On 4 October 2011, he was voted the European coach of the year.

Athletes he coached won medals at major championships. His daughter Olivia won a gold medal as part of the 4 × 100 m relay team at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing,

At the 2007 World Championships in Athletics in Osaka, the women's 4 × 100 m relay team, with his daughter Olivia, won the bronze medal. The team achieved the same at the 2011 European Athletics Indoor Championships as well.

His sons have also repeatedly broken the national record at the 400m.

The eldest daughter Olivia won the gold medal at the Olympics, and the world bronze at the 2007 World Athletics Championships in Osaka with the 4 × 100 m relay, and the other daughter Alizia was also a decent sprinter. The four sons are all 400 m specialists, the twins Jonathan and Kevin, both Olympic finalists in London 2012, Dylan and the youngest Rayane. In addition, Jacques' older brother Jean-Pierre was also a sprinter.

Achievements