Belgian athlete Hanne Claes

Hanne Claes stands as one of the most resilient and influential figures in modern Belgian athletics. A specialist in the 400m hurdles and a cornerstone of the national 4x400m relay team, known as the “Belgian Cheetahs”, Hanne Claes has carved out a career defined by longevity, national records, and elite consistency on the world stage. She is an eight time national champion and one of the most talented athletes in the country, still holding the national record in 4x400m relay.

Born on August 4, 1991, in Hasselt, Hanne Claes did not start as a hurdler. Her early career focused on the 100m and 200m sprints, where she showcased raw speed, winning Belgian national titles in the 200m in 2012 and 2013. However, after narrowly missing out on Olympic qualification for London 2012 and Rio 2016, she made a pivotal transition to the 400m hurdles. This shift proved inspired, allowing her to utilize her sprinting background over a longer distance while mastering the technical demands of the barriers.

The 2018 season marked her arrival as a top-tier European hurdler. At the European Championships in Berlin, Hanne Claes finished an impressive 4th place in the 400m hurdles with a time of 55.75 sec. This performance signaled her potential to compete with the world’s best.

Her individual peak arrived in 2023 at the Resisprint International in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. Hanne Claes clocked a blistering 54.33 sec, setting a new Belgian National Record (which stood until 2025). This milestone cemented her legacy as the fastest woman in Belgian history over the barriers at that time.

While her individual accolades are significant, Hanne Claes is perhaps best known for her role in the Belgian Cheetahs. As a veteran leader of the 4x400m relay squad, she helped transform the team into a global powerhouse. Her career is punctuated by high-stakes relay finals: 5th place at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, 4th place at the 2022 European Championships in Munich, 5th place at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, and 7th place at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Beyond the track, Hanne Claes is a two-time Olympian (Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024) and has been a vital ambassador for Belgian sport. Following the 2024 season, she announced her retirement at the Memorial Van Damme in Brussels, leaving the sport at the very top of her game. Her journey from a frustrated sprinter to a record-breaking hurdler serves as a blueprint for adaptability and perseverance in elite athletics.

Hanne Claes in numbers

2x Olympian
8x National champion
Personal best: 3:22.12 min (4x400m relay), 54.33 sec (400m hurdles), 51.28 sec (400m)

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