Belgium eyes global glory after historic EuroBasket defense
The Belgian Cats have undergone one of the most remarkable transformations, evolving from an unranked nation in 2016 into a continental powerhouse.
Claiming both their 2023 and 2025 titles despite trailing at half-time in both finals is just one of the extraordinary feats they have achieved, making them only the third nation after the Soviet Union and Spain to successfully defend the EuroBasket crown.
Rising from continental hopefuls to global contenders, they have won four European medals since 2017 and secured fourth- and fifth-place finishes at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups respectively.
Now, they are setting their sights on conquering the global stage at the FIBA World Cup next year and the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
Funding from the Olympic Solidarity Team Support Grant for the 2021–24 period, combined with backing from the Belgian Olympic Committee, has accelerated their development.
At last year's Paris Olympics, Belgium came tantalisingly close to their breakthrough moment, reaching the semi-finals before losing 81–75 to the eventual runners-up, France, in overtime.
Their subsequent 85–81 bronze-medal loss to Australia left them in fourth place, agonisingly close to their first Olympic podium finish, but demonstrating their ability to compete with the global basketball elite.
Coach Rachid Meziane, who led the team to their first European success, left in December to take up a position with the Connecticut Sun in the WNBA.
Mike Thibault, former coach of the Washington Mystics, took over in January and has continued to propel the team forward.
MASTERFUL EXECUTION WITH GENERATIONAL BLEND
Under Thibault's guidance, Belgium delivered a superb EuroBasket campaign, topping Group C after victories over Portugal, Montenegro and co-hosts Czech Republic.
Their systematic approach has become their trademark, as evidenced by their dismantling of Germany by 24 points in the quarter-finals and their hard-fought 66–64 semi-final victory over Italy.
Sunday's final epitomised Belgium's championship DNA. Spain seemed destined for their fifth European title when they established a commanding 65–53 lead with 2:56 left in the final quarter.
However, Belgium's competitive spirit emerged in the crucial final minutes. Kyara Linskens, Emma Meesseman, and Julie Allemand combined to reduce the deficit to one point with just 18 seconds left on the clock.
Antonia Delaere's decisive steal and layup completed the victory, leaving Spanish players burying their heads in disbelief in front of a raucous 7,827 crowd at the iconic Peace and Friendship Stadium - a record attendance for a Women's EuroBasket Final in the 21st century.
The team's blend of experience and youth revolves around Meesseman, 32, the first player to win back-to-back EuroBasket MVP awards.
The former Washington Mystics power forward's historic achievement enhances her glittering career, which features a WNBA championship, a WNBA Finals MVP award, six EuroLeague titles and three EuroLeague MVP awards.
"It's still hard to believe — I've played a lot of games in my career, but never one like that, especially not in a final," Meesseman said. "It's a good reminder to never give up — in sport or in life."
Veteran Julie Vanloo delivered vital assists, while the return of the injured Allemand proved crucial for excellent playmaking. Nastja Claessens, 20, emerged as an important addition, as demonstrated by her 14-point performance against Montenegro.
Belgium's dynasty appears nascent, having transformed from a feel-good story into European royalty with their sights set on world domination.
Having established European dominance, the missing Olympic and World Cup medals represent their ultimate prize. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
4 hours ago
- Straits Times
Gretchen Walsh blocks out criticism of US team's performance at world championships
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Gretchen Walsh after winning the 50 metres butterfly title on Aug 2 to add to her 100m crown at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore. SINGAPORE – Gretchen Walsh admits she struggles to understand the flak being directed at the US team over their performance at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore and said the swimmers have been competing under extremely difficult circumstances. The United States team were hit by an outbreak of acute gastroenteritis during a training camp in Thailand just before the championships, with several swimmers travelling late to Singapore and other having to pull out of events. On Aug 1, six-gold Olympic champion Ryan Lochte shared an image on social media of a tombstone with the inscription: "In loving memory of United States Swimming. They set the bar high – until they stopped reaching for it." He also added a caption referencing the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, saying: 'Call it a funeral or call it a fresh start. We've got 3 years.' US swimming great Michael Phelps then shared Lochte's post and added: 'Is this the wake-up call USA Swimming needed?' Asked about the criticism Walsh, who won the 50 metres butterfly title on Aug 2 to add to her 100m crown in Singapore, said she was trying to ignore it. 'I was made aware, and it's frustrating, but I think that personally, I am just trying to block it out and take on the meet with everything I can and just show up and race like I know how... 'I think we've been dealing with a lot so it's hard to get the criticism in the first place because I don't think people quite understand the magnitude of everything going on behind,the scenes. 'But showing up, giving my best, and coming out a world champion twice now has been everything, and I'm just happy to keep doing it and happy that I'm feeling like myself again in the water.' The US top the medal standings with eight golds, one ahead of rivals Australia with one final day of competition to come. The US have won only one individual gold in the men's events, Luca Urlando claiming the 200 butterfly title. Jack Alexy, who was part of the team that won the mixed 4x100 mixed freestyle gold in a world record time on Aug 2, said US athletes were always held to the highest of standards. 'It's definitely fuel to the fire for the next couple years,' added Alexy, who also has a silver and two bronze medals from his events in Singapore. 'And the theme going into this meet was setting off the tone right for LA 2028. So I think we're continuing to do a better job at that, especially after tonight, and I'm really excited for the future.' REUTERS
Straits Times
a day ago
- Straits Times
‘It's just sport. Nothing more': How Florian Wellbrock, four-gold world champ, revived his career
King of the high seas: Germany's Florian Wellbrock won four golds in the open water during the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore. 'Oh my god.' Leaning on a metal barrier, Florian Wellbrock does something unusual for him. He's the poet laureate of endurance swimming, the lean, liquid prince of persistence who can't stop, whose hotel safe must barely close because it's stuffed with world championship golds from the 10km open water, the 5km, the 3km knockout sprints, the mixed 4x1,500m relay and he's not finished yet. The German's life is measured in fractions but right now the seconds are slowly ticking away. He's a silent study in concentration. How do you tell a reporter the madness of your life, the rise, the Olympic gold in 2021, the fall thereafter, the struggles, the pressure so suffocating it 'killed' him at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the revival? So he thinks. For five seconds, 10, 14, the pause dramatic, broken only by the 'oh my god' at the question, and then this man, who always finds things, like his way back to greatness, finds the words. In a unique feat, Wellbrock collects gold in the 10km open water and 1,500m (in the pool) at the 2019 world championships and then gold and bronze in those events at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. 'At this point,' he says, 'it felt like normal to be on the podium, to win a gold medal, but to be honest it's not normal.' No, it's not. The podium requires a freaky confluence of talent and timing, of skill polished over thousands of kilometres and then unleashed at a precise moment to best an entire planet. 'You need a lot of work,' continues Wellbrock, 'a lot of passion, it's so hard to stay on the top level. It's easy to become a world champion, but to stay on this level is much harder.' He's talking pressure, that sneaky feeling that steals joy from athletes, freezes their joints, warps their perspective. Suddenly self-worth is measured only by which level you rise to on a podium. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore New vehicular bridge connecting Punggol Central and Seletar Link to open on Aug 3 Singapore Tengah facility with over 40 animal shelters, businesses hit by ticks Business Property 'decoupling' illegal if done solely to avoid taxes: High Court Singapore HSA investigating teen who was observed to be allegedly vaping in MRT train Singapore 60 years of building Singapore Asia 'Every day, we think about how to upgrade': China's factories see rise in robot adoption Sport Spurs captain Son Heung-min says he is leaving the English Premier League club Life Tastemakers: Burnt-out serial entrepreneur cooks up $16m success with Lau Wang Claypot Delights Pressure for Wellbrock came from the media, friends, family, himself. His training group in Magdeburg in Germany was 'really strong' and 'everybody's talking about medals, about gold medals especially. And then you have the feeling that you have to win and even if it's silver you are losing because you didn't achieve the gold medal. 'And this is a kind of pressure which is not good for yourself.' Pressure flattens Wellbrock at the 2024 Olympics and he'll tell you this with disarming bluntness. Of the many fascinating parts which comprise the athlete, one is ownership of defeat. If they fumble, they own it. He's 14th in the pool in the 1,500m and eighth in the 10km open water and his verdict is unvarnished. 'I think the pressure killed me in Paris.' Redemption starts with an interrogation. Why am I doing this? What do I want from it? How does it fulfil me? Wellbrock has his own list. 'I was thinking, okay, I put so much work into my sport, is it okay to finish like 12th, 15th, whatever? 'And for me it was clear, it's not okay. Because when I do like 80, 90 kilometres in the water, gym, pour everything to be in the top shape, I want to be one of the top athletes, I want to be on the podium.' Comebacks are born of humility, from an admission that life as it was isn't working, that bodies may have to be resculpted, plans redesigned, philosophies reworked. It's why golfers change equipment and badminton players their coaches and Novak Djokovic his diet. Sometimes all that needs tinkering with is attitude. Wellbrock makes progress after Paris with a mental coach and says 'now I find a way to swim again with fun and not with too much pressure'. It's a process and for some athletes this may involve mantras they recite and journals they write in, something which clarifies their mission and releases pressure, something not necessarily profound but powerful, something as simple as the word Wellbrock now tells himself. 'Relax.' You actually tell yourself 'relax'? 'Yeah. It's just sport. Yeah, nothing more.' Even in this no-frills, no-excuses 27-year-old from Bremen lies the hint of a poet and you can hear it when he talks about open water swimming. 'You float on the water. There's no gravity any more. Especially at home during the morning practice at 7am, early in the morning, it's so bright around you, it's just you and the water, nothing more.' A man in his element. In Singapore he enters the water one last time on Aug 3, in the 1,500m freestyle final, chasing nothing else but his best self on this particular day and not a specific colour of medal. 'At the moment, I don't care. Because I know the feeling, how it is if I win, and I know the feeling how it is when I lose.' He's saying he doesn't care if he comes second. Which may be exactly why in Singapore he has only come first.
CNA
2 days ago
- CNA
How Singapore is 'home' for two swimmers representing Spain and Ireland at the World Aquatics Championships
SINGAPORE: For Spain's Carmen Weiler Sastre and Ireland's Jack Cassin, competing at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships has added significance. It is in host country Singapore where the two swimmers spent much of their adolescent years; where they cultivated friendships; and where they built the foundation of their sporting careers. To the pair, Singapore is special. "I don't even think I can ... express or put into words how I feel after this," Cassin told CNA, referring to competing in Singapore. He had just finished second in the heats of the men's 100m butterfly on Friday (Aug 1). "It has so much more emotion and depth attached to it, than it would be for any other swimmer here, because this is the place that I used to call home. It definitely feels like being back home." For Weiler Sastre, whose family moved to Singapore when she was just one, it was "surreal" to be back. "It's really special for me to come back and compete in front of my friends and family," she told CNA. "I really enjoyed growing up in Singapore ... I would say this is my home." Cassin and Weiler Sastre have known each other over the years, having trained and studied together at the Canadian International School and then the Nexus International School. 'When he told me that he was going to Singapore for worlds, I was really excited," said Weiler Sastre, 20, who is Spain's national record holder in the 100m backstroke. "We also went to the same place for a training camp in Malaysia in Kuching, so that was really cool to share that experience with him." "I WOULDN'T TRADE IT FOR ANYTHING" Both swimmers, who competed at the Singapore National Age Group Championships in the past, said the country has played a role in their growth as athletes. Weiler Sastre, who now studies at Virginia Tech university, credited her former Nexus coach Ivan Bunakov with helping to shape the "trajectory" of her swimming. "He taught me a lot about discipline ... and I really do think that helped me work hard in the US." In the United States, Weiler Sastre now trains under Sergio Lopez, the former coach of Singapore's only Olympic champion Joseph Schooling. "He's almost like a father figure to me. We're really close and he's helped me with a lot in the three years that I've been with him," said Weiler Sastre. "I think that he is one of the best coaches that there is." Cassin, 21, moved to Singapore at the age of nine after his mother found a job here. He then lived in Singapore for almost a decade. "It was definitely a big change (to come to Singapore) ... I never expected that I would be here for ten years," he said. "I definitely wouldn't be at the level of swimming I'm at now if I had never took this opportunity," said Cassin, who is the Irish national record holder in the men's 400m individual medley. "It's been such a good experience, I wouldn't trade it for anything." Cassin said there was a "huge" difference in access to facilities in Singapore, compared with Ireland. "Singapore is such a small country but you've so many pools ... Whereas other countries don't have that. In Ireland, we have two 50m pools and (the country) is 100 times the size of Singapore," he added. "In international schools, you have the pool and it's right next to the school, so it's just the convenience of it as well. It makes such a difference." Cassin will take to the pool again for the 4x100m medley relay on Sunday, the final day of competition.
