Stijn Desmet (born 10 April 1998) is a Belgian short track speed skater.

Stijn Desmet
Desmet in 2016
Personal information
NationalityBelgian
Born (1998-04-10) 10 April 1998 (age 26)
Duffel, Belgium
Sport
CountryBelgium
SportShort track speed skating
ClubIRTA
Medal record
Men's short-track speed skating
Representing  Belgium
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 2023 Seoul 1000 m
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Montreal 500 m
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Montreal 1500 m
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2023 Gdańsk 1000 m
Silver medal – second place 2023 Gdańsk 1500 m
Silver medal – second place 2023 Gdańsk 2000 m mixed relay
Silver medal – second place 2024 Gdańsk 5000 m relay
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Gdańsk 500 m
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Gdańsk 1000 m
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Gdańsk 2000 m mixed relay
Representing Mixed-NOCs
Winter Youth Olympics
Gold medal – first place 2016 Lillehammer Mixed team relay

Biography edit

Desmet was born in Duffel, lives in Mechelen, and is the younger brother of short track speed skater and Olympic bronze medalist Hanne Desmet.

Desmet started short track speed skating at a club in Wilrijk at the age of 10. In 2012, he was scouted by the Belgian short track national team coach Pieter Gysel to participate in the Sport Vlaanderen supported project "Be Gold" to train talented youth professionally in Hasselt, with the Winter Olympics as the main goal.[1]

Desmet is the Belgian record holder in the 500 meters. At the 2016 Winter Youth Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, he won a gold medal in the mixed relay event in an international team, alongside Desmet consisting of Quentin Fercoq (France), Ane Farstad (Norway) and Kim Ji-yoo (South Korea).

At the 2020 European Short Track Speed Skating Championships, Desmet finished 2nd in the closing super final, making him 5th in the final standings. At the 2021 European Short Track Speed Skating Championships, he was 12th in the final standings, and at the World Cup that year, Desmet finished in 9th place. [2]

At the Short track speed skating at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, Desmet was eliminated in the heats of the 1000 metres due to a penalty, ended 13th in the 1500 metres and was eliminated in the Quarterfinals of the 500 metres.

In April 2022, at the 2022 World Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Montreal, he won two bronze medals in one day, the 500 metres and the 1500 metres.[3][4]

References edit

  1. ^ "Stijn Desmet". Team Belgium. Archived from the original on 2022-02-13. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  2. ^ "Stijn Desmet". www.shorttrackonline.info. Archived from the original on 2022-03-24. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  3. ^ "ISU World Short Track Championships 2022 – Montreal (CAN)". shorttrack.sportresult.com. Archived from the original on 2022-04-11. Retrieved 2022-04-10.
  4. ^ "ISU World Short Track Championships 2022 – Montreal (CAN)". shorttrack.sportresult.com. Archived from the original on 2022-04-11. Retrieved 2022-04-10.

External links edit