Imagen
3148-Kenny van Weeghel photo

Kenny van Weeghel

Athletics
3
3
2

Biography

Impairment information

Origin of Impairment
Congenital
Classification
T54

Further personal information

Family
Wife Cecile
Residence
Dinther, NED
Occupation
Athlete, Engineer, Information Technology
Languages
Dutch, English, German
Higher education
Computer Science - Saxion University of Applied Sciences: Enschede, NED

Sport specific information

When and where did you begin this sport?
He took up wheelchair racing in 1994 in Zwolle, Netherlands.
Why this sport?
He played wheelchair basketball before switching to Para athletics. "I was fast playing wheelchair basketball, but I did not have good control over the basketball itself. So wheelchair racing was a logical step."
Club / Team
Eindhoven Atletiek: Netherlands

International debut

Year
1998
Competing for
Netherlands
Tournament
World Championships
Location
Birmingham, ENG

General interest

Nicknames
The Flying Dutchman (Athlete, 06 Nov 2019)
Hobbies
Computer programming, watching television. (Athlete, 06 Nov 2019)
Memorable sporting achievement
Winning gold in the T54 400m at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens. (Athlete, 06 Nov 2019)
Most influential person in career
His parents. (Athlete, 16 Jul 2017)
Hero / Idol
Dutch wheelchair racer Iwan van Breemen, Dutch wheelchair tennis player Esther Vergeer, Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt. (paralympic.org, 12 Jul 2015; NPC Media Guide, 20 Oct 2015)
Sporting philosophy / motto
"Respect your opponents, have fun, and be the best you can be." (Athlete, 06 Nov 2019)
Awards and honours
In 2017 he was named an Honorary Citizen of the North Brabant province in the Netherlands. (bd.nl, 14 Mar 2017)

He was named the 2014 Para Athlete of the Year by the Dutch Athletics Federation. (atletiekunie.nl, 22 Jan 2015)

He was named the 2006 Sportsman of the Year in Enschede, Netherlands. (sax.nu, 07 Feb 2007)

He was named the 2004 Para Athlete of the Year by Dutch broadcaster NOS. (intermobiel.com, 12 Mar 2010)

In 2004 he was named Knight in the Order of the Netherlands Lion in recognition of his achievements at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens. (volkskrant.nl, 30 Sep 2004)

He was presented with the 2003 Para Athlete of the Year Award in Brabant, Netherlands. (eindhoven.gezien.nl, 20 Dec 2013)
Other sports
He has played wheelchair basketball at an elite level. (readytosport.nl, 24 Oct 2018)
Ambitions
To compete at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. (Athlete, 06 Nov 2019)
Impairment
He was born with a condition that affects the muscle strength in his legs. (Athlete, 06 Nov 2019)
Other information
OCCUPATION
He works as a software engineer for the Dutch police service. (Facebook profile, 23 Oct 2020; LinkedIn profile, 01 Jan 2020)

OTHER ACTIVITIES
He has served as an ambassador for the Fonds Gehandicaptensport [Disabled Sports Fund] in the Netherlands. (fondsgehandicaptensport.nl, 2016)

Results

Unit Date Rank
IPC Athletics World Championships Birmingham 1998 (Birmingham, Great Britain)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Men's 200 m T55 Heat 1 4
Men's 200 m T55 Heat 2 3
Men's 200 m T55 Final Round 8
Men's 400 m T55 Heat 3 3
Men's 400 m T55 Heat 1 8
Athens 2004 Paralympic Games (Athens, Greece)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Men's 400 m T54 Final Round 1
Men's 400 m T54 Heat 3 1
Men's 200 m T54 Final Round 2
Men's 100 m T54 Heat 2 1
Men's 100 m T54 Heat 2 1
Men's 100 m T54 Final Round 3
Men's 200 m T54 Heat 2 1
IPC Athletics World Championships Assen 2006 (Assen, Netherlands)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Men's 100 m T54 Heat 3 1
Men's 100 m T54 Heat 1 2
Men's 100 m T54 Final Round 2
Men's 200 m T54 Heat 2 1
Men's 200 m T54 Heat 2 1
Men's 200 m T54 Final Round 1
Men's 400 m T54 Heat 2 7
Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games (Beijing, China)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Men's 100 m T54 Heat 1 1
Men's 100 m T54 Final Round 5
Men's 200 m T54 Heat 2 2
Men's 200 m T54 Final Round 4
Men's 400 m T54 Heat 1 3
Men's 400 m T54 Heat 2 2
Men's 400 m T54 Final Round 7
Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games (Sydney, Australia)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Men's 100 m T54 Heat 1 4
Men's 100 m T54 Final Round 5
Men's 200 m T54 Heat 1 3
Men's 200 m T54 Final Round 6
Men's 400 m T54 Heat 2 5
Men's 400 m T54 Heat 1 8
IPC Athletics World Championships Villeneuve d'Ascq 2002 (Villeneuve d'Ascq, France)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Men's Marathon T54 Final Round 9999
2011 IPC Athletics World Championships (Christchurch, New Zealand)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Men's 100 m T54 Heat 4 2011-01-22 1
Men's 100 m T54 Semifinal 2 2011-01-22 1
Men's 100 m T54 Final 2011-01-23 3
Men's 200 m T54 Heat 4 2011-01-24 1
Men's 200 m T54 Semifinal 2 2011-01-25 1
Men's 200 m T54 Final 2011-01-26 4
London 2012 Paralympic Games (London, Great Britain)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Men's 100 m T54 Heat 1 2012-09-01 3
Men's 100 m T54 Final Round 2012-09-02 8
Men's 400 m T54 Heat 2 2012-09-05 2
Men's 400 m T54 Final Round 2012-09-07 2
IPC Athletics World Championships (Lyon, France)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Men's 400 m T54 Final 1 2013-07-21 3
Men's 400 m T54 Semifinal 1 2013-07-21 6
Men's 200 m T54 Semifinal 3 2013-07-23 1
Men's 200 m T54 Final 1 2013-07-24 1
Men's 100 m T54 Semifinal 2 2013-07-25 2
Men's 100 m T54 Final 1 2013-07-26 2
IPC Athletics 2015 World Championships (Doha, Qatar)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Men's 200 m T54 Final 1 2015-10-22 1
Men's 200 m T54 Heat 1 2015-10-22 2
Men's 1500 m T54 Heat 2 2015-10-23 23
Men's 100 m T54 Heat 2 2015-10-25 4
Men's 100 m T54 Final 1 2015-10-25 3
Men's 400 m T54 Heat 1 2015-10-27 4
Men's 400 m T54 Final 1 2015-10-27 3
Men's 800 m T54 Heat 4 2015-10-28 5
Men's 800 m T54 Semifinal 2 2015-10-29 4
Men's 800 m T54 Final 1 2015-10-29 2
Rio 2016 Paralympic Games (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Men's 400 m T54 Heat 1 2016-09-11 2
Men's 400 m T54 Final Round 2016-09-12 1
Men's 1500 m T54 Heat 1 2016-09-12 4
Men's 800 m T54 Heat 2 2016-09-14 2
Men's 800 m T54 Final Round 2016-09-15 7
Men's 100 m T54 Heat 2 2016-09-16 2
Men's 100 m T54 Final Round 2016-09-17 3
World Para Athletics Championships London 2017 (London, Great Britain)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Men's 100 m T54 Heat 1 2017-07-14 3
Men's 100 m T54 Final 1 2017-07-14 3
Men's 1500 m T54 Heat 1 2017-07-16 19
Men's 800 m T54 Heat 1 2017-07-17 10
Men's 200 m T54 Heat 2 2017-07-18 2
Men's 200 m T54 Final 1 2017-07-18 2
Men's 400 m T54 Heat 1 2017-07-19 6
Men's 400 m T54 Final 1 2017-07-20 2