| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Belgian |
| Born | 14 February 1955 |
| Died | 1 November 2015 (aged 60) |
| Height | 186 cm (6 ft 1 in) |
| Weight | 81 kg (179 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
Event(s) | Sprints,long jump |
| Club | Vlierzele Sportief |
Ronald Desruelles (14 February 1955 – 1 November 2015) was aBelgiantrack and field athlete who competed at the1976 Summer Olympics and the1984 Summer Olympics.[1]
Desruelles was born in Antwerp and his brotherPatrick Desruelles competed in the men'spole vault. Ronald started as along jumper, and achieved a personal best of 8.08 in 1979, a national record that stood for 17 years. Additionally in 1979, he won the BritishAAA Championships title at the1979 AAA Championships.[2][3]
He then concentrated on theshort sprints, and won numerous medals in60 metres. With 6.57 seconds in 1986 he was ranked third on the indoor top performers list that season.[4] He lost a gold medal at the1980 European Indoor Championships because of adoping offense.[5] Desruelles won the Belgian100 metres championships seven times. He also won the200 in 1985. In the 1986 European championships inStuttgart he reached the 100 m semi-final.
Ronald was found dead in a hotel in Thailand on 1 November 2015, having committed suicide after the failure of his business.[6]
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing Belgium | |||||
| 1976 | Olympic Games | Montreal, Canada | 17th (q) | Long jump | 7.60 m |
| 1978 | European Indoor Championships | Milan, Italy | 2nd | Long jump | 7.75 m |
| 1980 | European Indoor Championships | Sindelfingen, Germany | disqualified | Long jump | |
| 1984 | European Indoor Championships | Gothenburg, Sweden | 3rd | 60 m | 6.69 |
| 1984 | Olympic Games | Los Angeles, United States | 17th (h) | 100 m | 10.46 |
| 1985 | World Indoor Games | Paris, France | 3rd | 60 m | 6.64 |
| 1985 | European Indoor Championships | Piraeus, Greece | 3rd | 60 m | 6.68 |
| 1986 | European Indoor Championships | Madrid, Spain | 1st | 60 m | 6.61 |
| 1986 | European Championships | Stuttgart, Germany | 13th (sf) | 100 m | 10.43 |
| 1987 | World Indoor Championships | Indianapolis, United States | 6th | 60 m | 6.67 |
| 1987 | World Championships | Rome, Italy | 30th (qf) | 100 m | 10.69 |
| 1988 | European Indoor Championships | Budapest, Hungary | 2nd | 60 m | 6.60 |
| (#) Indicates overall position in qualifying round (q) qualifying heats (h) quarterfinals (qf) or semifinals (sf) | |||||
Notes:
