Julien Watrin (born 27 June 1992)[1] is a Belgian sprinter specialising in the 400 metres. In 2023, he won his first individual major senior medal, with silver at the European Indoor Championships. Watrin earned several major medals with national men's 4 × 400 m relays, including bronzes at the 2019 and 2022 World Athletics Championships.
He is the Belgian record holder for the 400 m hurdles, Belgian indoor record holder for the 400 m, and won several national titles.
He was diagnosed with testicular cancer in September 2023 which prevented him from participating in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.[2] After successful treatment, he made his return on the international stage at the 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn, The Netherlands, winning a silver medal as a member of Belgium's 4×400 m mixed relay team[3][4] and a bronze medal as a member of Belgium's men 4×400 m relay team.[5]
Statistics
International competitions
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | European Youth Olympic Festival | Tampere, Finland | 2nd | 100 m | 10.82 |
| 1st | 200 m | 21.06 | |||
| 3rd | 4 × 100 m relay | 41.69 | |||
| 2010 | World Junior Championships | Moncton, Canada | 7th | 100 m | 10.56 |
| 9th (sf) | 200 m | 21.12 w | |||
| 13th (h) | 4 × 100 m relay | 40.43 | |||
| 2011 | European Junior Championships | Tallinn, Estonia | – | 200 m | DNF |
| 2013 | European U23 Championships | Tampere, Finland | 1st | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:04.90 |
| Jeux de la Francophonie | Nice, France | 4th | 200 m | 21.56 | |
| 3rd | 4 × 100 m relay | 39.58 | |||
| 2014 | World Relays | Nassau, Bahamas | 1st (B) | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:02.97 |
| European Championships | Zürich, Switzerland | 23rd (h) | 400 m | 46.31 | |
| 7th | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:02.60 | |||
| 2015 | European Indoor Championships | Prague, Czech Republic | 1st | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:02.87 WL AR |
| World Relays | Nassau, Bahamas | 3rd | 4 × 400 m relay | 2:59.33 | |
| 2016 | European Championships | Amsterdam, Netherlands | 10th (sf) | 400 m | 45.76 |
| 1st | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:01.10 | |||
| Olympic Games | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 4th | 4 × 400 m relay | 2:58.52 | |
| 2017 | European Indoor Championships | Belgrade, Serbia | 2nd | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:07.80 |
| World Relays | Nassau, Bahamas | 2nd (B) | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:07.14 | |
| 2018 | European Championships | Berlin, Germany | 4th (h) | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:02.55 |
| 2019 | European Indoor Championships | Glasgow, United Kingdom | 1st | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:06.27 |
| World Relays | Yokohama, Japan | 8th (h) | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:03.70 | |
| World Championships | Doha, Qatar | 3rd (h) | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:00.87 | |
| 2022 | World Indoor Championships | Belgrade, Serbia | 6th (sf) | 400 m | 46.54 |
| 1st | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:06.52 | |||
| World Championships | Eugene, OR, United States | 14th (sf) | 400 m hurdles | 49.52 | |
| 3rd | 4 × 400 m relay | 2:58.72 | |||
| European Championships | Munich, Germany | 6th | 400 m hurdles | 48.98 | |
| 2nd | 4 × 400 m relay | 2:59.49 | |||
| 2023 | European Indoor Championships | Istanbul, Turkey | 2nd | 400 m | 45.44 |
| 1st | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:05.83 | |||
| World Championships | Budapest, Hungary | 17th (sf) | 400 m hurdles | 48.94 | |
| 9th (h) | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:00.33 | |||
| 2025 | European Indoor Championships | Apeldoorn, The Netherlands | 2nd | Mixed 4 × 400 metres relay | 3:16.19 |
| 3rd | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:05.18 SB |
Personal bests
- 100 metres – 10.39 (+1.5 m/s, Mannheim 2010) NU20R
- 200 metres – 20.80 (−0.4 m/s, Brussels 2013)
- 200 metres indoor – 20.90 (Ghent 2023)
- 400 metres – 45.56 (La Chaux-de-Fonds 2021)
- 400 m hurdles – 48.66 (Brussels 2022) NR
National titles
- Belgian Athletics Championships
- 100 metres: 2012, 2013
- 200 metres: 2020
- 400 metres: 2016
- 400 m hurdles: 2019
- Belgian Indoor Athletics Championships
- 400 metres: 2022
See also
References
- ^ Julien Watrin at World Athletics
- ^ "Cancer Ends Paris Olympics Dream for 31-YO Track and Field Star". EssentiallySports. 31 January 2024. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
- ^ "Femke Bol inspires Dutch to historic 4x400m mixed relay title at Apeldoorn 2025". European Athletic Association. 6 March 2025. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
- ^ "ZILVER! Gemengde estafetteploeg schenkt België meteen medaille op openingsdag EK indoor" [SILVER! Mixed relay team immediately awards Belgium with medal on opening day of European Indoor Championships] (in Dutch). Sporza. 6 March 2025. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
- ^ "Five gold medals! Super Sunday as Dutch close Apeldoorn 2025 with glorious finale". European Athletic Association. 10 March 2025. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
External links
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