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 Peter Genyn in 2016 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Belgian |
| Born | (1976-12-24)24 December 1976 (age 48) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Wheelchair Athletics Wheelchair Rugby |
| Club | Wapper |
Medal record | |
Peter Genyn (born 24 December 1976) is aParalympian sportsman fromBelgium. Initially Genyn competed as awheelchair rugby player before switching to track and field athletics in 2014 where he competes in category T51 sprint events. In 2016 he became the world record holder in the T51 men's400 metres sprint.
Genyn was born inBrasschaat, Belgium in 1976.[1][2] In 1990 he jumped into a shallow pond, breaking his neck which resulted intetraplegia.[3] He has a degree in computer science.[2]
Genyn took upwheelchair rugby shortly after his accident in 1993, and was classified as a 1.5 player. He represented Belgium at the2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens where the team ended sixth overall. As well as his Paralympic appearance Genyn was also part of the Belgium team at twoIWRF World Championships, at Christchurch in 2006 (finishing 8th) and Vancouver in 2010 (7th).[2] His highlight as a Wheelchair rugby player came in 2009 when he was part of the Belgium team that beat Sweden in the final of the2009 IWRF European Championship. Genyn followed this with a second Paralympic appearance when Belgium qualified forLondon 2012 after finishing third in the 2011 European Championship.[4] Genyn's wheelchair rugby career came to an end in November 2013 after he broke his leg.[2]
After the end of his wheelchair rugby career Genyn switched to track and field athletics. Genyn switched to sprinting as he always saw himself as the fastest member of the Belgian rugby team.[2] After being classified as aT51 athlete, Genyn appeared at his first major international competition when he represented Belgium at the2014 IPC Athletics European Championships inSwansea. He took part in two events, the100 and400 metres sprints. Genyn won two silver medals, beaten in both by Finland'sToni Piispanen, another ex-wheelchair rugby player.
The following year Genyn met Piispanen again at the2015 World Championships in Doha. This time the tables were reversed with Genyn pushing Piispanen into the lower medal places as he took gold in both the100 metre and400 metre races, setting championship records in both.[5] In the build up to theRio Paralympics, Genyn entered the2016 European Championships in Grosseto. He won gold in both the100 and400 metres sprints setting a new world record time of 1:18.09 in the 400m event.[6]
During the2016 Summer Paralympics, Genyn managed to win the gold medal both in the 100m as well as in the 400m T51 event. One year later he successfully defended his titles at the 100 and 400 metres events at the2017 World Championships inLondon.Two years later, he won gold and silver at the 200 and 100 m events respectively.
At the2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo, Japan, Genyn took silver in the 200 meter T-51, coming second by half a second, and took gold in the 100 meter T-51, setting a new Paralympic record for the race. Hours before the 100 meter race, his chair was found in disrepair in what was believed an act of sabotage, but was roughly fixed using duct tape.Roger Habsch, another Belgian athlete for the same race, also found his chair damaged.[7] He was Belgium's flag bearer at the closing ceremony.[8]
Belgian Paralympic Athlete of the Year (2017 & 2018)[9][10]
