Verherstraeten: "PR is the goal, BR or World Championships qualifying time would be a nice bonus"

Simon Verherstraeten is hoping to run a fast time on Friday in the 100-metre final at the Diamond League’s Allianz Memorial Van Damme. That would mean a time under 10.06. A time faster than 10.02 would make him the new Belgian record holder.

Verherstraeten was the anchor runner of the Belgian team that won bronze in the 4×100 metres at the European Championships in Birmingham. Individually, he also reached the final in England, but calf cramps prevented him from giving his all. His top performances at the European Championships did, however, earn him a wildcard for the Diamond League final in Brussels.

“I remember coming to the Memorial with my club as a child,” says Verherstraeten. “Aries Merritt’s world record in the 110-metre hurdles in 2012 has stayed with me, as has Christian Coleman’s 9.79 in the 100 metres. I was a bit older then, but 2018 is a while back now too.”

“These days, I come across the world’s top athletes more regularly at competitions, but I’m still a bit starstruck. On Friday, I’ll be standing next to Coleman and other top athletes – athletes I looked up to when I was younger. It’s really exciting and special.”

Of course, Verherstraeten will be fully focused on the track on Friday. “I want to run a fast time in front of the home crowd. It’s a fast track and there’ll be 30,000 people cheering us on. Hopefully that will give me that extra push to run really fast.”

Verherstraeten’s PR is 10.06, his season’s best 10.12. “I hope to go for a PR on Friday. The Belgian record set by Ronald Desruelles in 1985 (10.02) and the World Championships qualifying time (9.95) aren’t my primary focus. A PR is the goal, and a Belgian record or World Championships qualifying time would be a nice added bonus,” says Verherstraeten.