13 Facts About Tia Hellebaut

Tia Hellebaut started out in her sports career in the heptathlon, and afterwards specialized in the high jump event.

Tia Hellebaut was previously the European Champion in 2006 and then the European Indoor Champion in 2007.

Tia Hellebaut won the gold medal in the pentathlon at the 2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships.

Tia Hellebaut held the Belgian records indoor long jump and indoor pentathlon until they were broken by Nafissatou Thiam and still holds the Belgian record in both indoors and outdoors high jump.

Tia Hellebaut started her career as a professional athlete with Atletiek Vlaanderen from 2001 to October 2005.

At the 2006 European Championships and 2007 Indoor European Championships Tia Hellebaut won the gold medal in high jump.

In 2007 Tia Hellebaut set the then fourth best pentathlon score of all time, but chose not to contest the European Indoor Championships because of illness, choosing instead to compete only in the high jump, which she later won.

On 5 December 2008 Tia Hellebaut announced her pregnancy and retirement from professional athletics and that she would start working for a sports marketing company.

Tia Hellebaut announced that she would be concentrating exclusively on the high jump and aimed to participate in the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Shortly after placing fifth at the 2010 European Athletic Championships in Barcelona by clearing 1.97 metres, her first major championships after her comeback, it was reported that Tia Hellebaut was pregnant again.

On 16 June 2011,4 months after the birth of her second daughter Saartje, Tia Hellebaut announced her second return, confirming that she aimed to defend her title at the London Games.

Tia Hellebaut was Team Belgium national flag bearer at the 2012 Summer Olympics Parade of Nations.

In March 2019, Belgian football club Beerschot Wilrijk announced the take-over of amateur side Rupel Boom and lifetime Beerschot supporter Tia Hellebaut was appointed advisor at Rupel Boom's football academy.