View source for Luc Van Lierde

{{short description|Belgian triathlete}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Luc Van Lierde
| image = Luc Van Lierde 2008.jpg
| caption = Van Lierde at the [[Knokke]] triathlon, 2 September 2008
| birth_date  = {{birth date and age|1969|4|14|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Bruges]], [[Belgium]]
| country = [[Belgium]]
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalCountry | {{BEL}} }}
{{MedalSport | Men's [[triathlon]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[ITU Triathlon World Championships]]}}
{{MedalSilver| [[1996 ITU Triathlon World Championships|1996 Cleveland]] | Elite men's race}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championships|ITU Long Distance World Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold| 1997 Nice | Elite men's race}}
{{MedalGold| 1998 Sado Island | Elite men's race}}
{{MedalSilver| 1995 Nice | Elite men's race}}
{{MedalSilver| 1996 Muncie | Elite men's race}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Ironman World Championship]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[1996 Ironman World Championship|1996]] | Men's race }}
{{MedalGold| [[1999 Ironman World Championship|1999]] | Men's race }}
{{MedalSilver| [[1998 Ironman World Championship|1998]] | Men's race }}
}}

'''Luc Van Lierde''' (born 14 April 1969 in [[Bruges]]) is a former [[sportsperson|athlete]] from [[Belgium]], who has been competing in [[triathlon]] since 1990 and who has been a professional triathlon coach since 2009.<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 May 2024 |title=Luc Van Lierde - Biography |url=https://www.lucvanlierde.com/biography/ |website=lucvanlierde.com |language=nl}}</ref>

==Athletic career==
Van Lierde's international career started in 1990 when he came fourth in the World Olympic Distance Triathlon Championships. In the full-length Ironman triathlon, which involves [[human swimming|swimming]] 3.8&nbsp;km, [[cycling]] 180&nbsp;km and [[running]] a 42.2&nbsp;km marathon, he was ranked among the first ten in the European Championships three times between 1990 and 1995. 1995 was a decisive year for Luc Van Lierde, when he took second place at the [[1996 ITU Triathlon World Championships|ITU World Championships]], and came second in the European Olympic Distance Triathlon Championships.<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 June 2017 |title=Triatleet Luc Van Lierde over zijn triomfen en nederlagen: "Mijn palmares is niet af" |url=https://www.dezondag.be/sport/luc-van-lierde/ |website=dezondag.be |language=nl}}</ref>

In 1996 he won the European Championships and came second in the World Championships in the Olympic Distance Triathlon. He won the Nice Triathlon and became World Long Course Triathlon Champion. Luc Van Lierde became the first [[European ethnic groups|European]] ever to win the [[Ironman Hawaii|Ironman World Championship]], beating the existing record by three minutes.<ref>{{Cite web |date=26 April 2022 |title=Hoe kon Luc Van Lierde als eerste Europeaan de Iron Man van Hawaï winnen? Wereldrecord belicht drie onderschatte factoren |url=https://sporza.be/nl/2022/04/26/hoe-kon-luc-van-lierde-als-eerste-europeaan-de-iron-man-van-hawai-winnen-wereldrecord-belicht-drie-onderschatte-factoren~1650967442959/ |website=[[Sporza]] |language=nl}}</ref>

Luc Van Lierde went on to clock the fastest Ironman Triathlon ever in 1997, doing 7:50:27 (0:44, 4:28, 2:36, plus transition) in Ironman Europe. Absent from the Ironman 1998, after undergoing an operation, he nevertheless won the [[Flanders|Flemish]] Sports Personality of the Year trophy. In 1999, he once again won the [[Ironman World Championship]] in Hawaii, outrunning the second placed competitor by six minutes. During that same year, he received the Giant of Flanders trophy awarded by the two Flanders section of the Association of Professional Journalists.
[[File:Luc_van_Lierde.jpg|thumb|260px|Van Lierde during the [[2007 Ironman World Championship|2007 Ironman]]]]

==Triathlon coach==
In 2009, after more than 20 years as a professional triathlete, Van Lierde began a career as a triathlon coach. [[Frederik Van Lierde]] (not related) approached Van Lierde with the request to coach him. One year later he managed to coach Frederik Van Lierde to a third place at the [[2012 Ironman World Championship]]. In 2013, he coached Frederik to the [[2013 Ironman World Championship]].

Van Lierde has successfully coached several other professional athletes, including [[Marino Vanhoenacker]], [[Iván Raña]], [[Will Clarke (triathlete)|Will Clarke]], [[Michelle Vesterby]], and [[Saleta Castro]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 June 2023 |title=Bekende vader Luc Van Lierde: ‘Ik heb veel moeten missen van Andrews kinderjaren’ |url=https://www.goedgezind.be/tieners/bekende-vader-luc-van-lierde-ik-heb-veel-moeten-missen-van-andrews-kinderjaren/ |website=goedgezind.be |language=nl}}</ref>

== Notable achievements ==
* 1995: Silver medal at the [[World Triathlon Long Distance Championships]], [[Nice]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 October 2022 |title=Triathlon - Luc Van Lierde |url=https://www.the-sports.org/luc-van-lierde-triathlon-spf3531.html |website=the-sports.org |language=}}</ref>
* 1995: Silver medal at the [[Europe Triathlon Championships]], [[Stockholm]]
* 1996: Winner [[Ironman World Championship]], [[Hawaii]] (new record; 8:04.08)
* 1996: Winner [[Europe Triathlon Championships|European Triathlon Championship]], [[Szombathely]]
* 1996: Winner Triathlon International de Nice
* 1996: Silver medal at the [[World Triathlon Long Distance Championships]], [[Muncie, Indiana|Muncie]]
* 1996: Silver medal at the [[World Triathlon Long Distance Championships|World Championships]] in the Quarter Triathlon
* 1997: Gold medal at the [[World Triathlon Long Distance Championships]], Nice
* 1997: Winner Ironman Europe, Nice (7:50:27, world record for Ironman event)<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 May 2024 |title=IronMan Lanzarote |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080820060036/http://www.ironmanlanzarote.com/UKProfessionalAthletes.htm |website=ironmanlanzarote.com |language=}}</ref>
* 1998: Gold medal at the [[World Triathlon Long Distance Championships]], [[Sado Island]]
* 1998: Second at the Ironman World Championship, Hawaii 
* 1999: Winner Ironman World Championship, Hawaii (8:17.17)
* 2000: Winner [[Saint Croix|St. Croix]] Triathlon (2k/55k/12k)
* 2000: Winner Superman Triatlon, [[Flanders]]
* 2003: Winner Ironman [[Malaysia]] (8:31.16)
* 2004: Winner Ironman Malaysia (8:48.02)
* 2006: 3rd at the Ironman 70.3 [[Monaco]]
* 2007: 2nd at the Ironman [[Lanzarote]]
* 2007: 8th [[2007 Ironman World Championship|Ironman Hawaii]]
* 2008: 2nd at the IronMan 70.3 [[Antwerp]]
* 2009: Winner Vienna City Triathlon

== Honors and awards ==

* [[Flemish Sportsjewel]]: 1996<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 December 2002 |title=Vlaamse Sportprijzen |url=https://www.vlaanderen.be/sarc/nl/vlaamse-sportprijzen-0 |website=vlaanderen.be |language=nl}}</ref>
* [[Vlaamse Reus]]: 1996, 1997, 1999 '''<ref name="eurosport3222">{{cite web |title=De Vlaamse Reus |url=https://vlaamsesportjournalisten.be/vlaamse-reus/ |publisher=vlaamsesportjournalisten.be |language=nl |publication-date=7 December 2023}}</ref>'''
* [[Belgian Sportsman of the year|Belgian Sportsman of the Year]]: 1997, 1999<ref name="eurosport232">{{cite web |date=18 December 2011 |title=Palmares Sportman van het jaar |url=https://www.standaard.be/cnt/dmf20111218_125 |publisher=De Standaard |language=nl}}</ref>
* [[Belgian National Sports Merit Award]]: 1997 <ref name="eurosport42">{{cite web |title=Red Lions volgen Nina Derwael op met winst van Nationale Trofee voor Sportverdienste |url=https://www.standaard.be/cnt/dmf20191107_04705232 |publisher=[[De Standaard]] |language=nl |publication-date=7 November 2019}}</ref>
* [[Belgian Sports Personality of the Year]]: 1999 <ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=14 December 2008 |title=Sportpersoonlijkheid van het jaar |url=https://sportgala.be/nl/sportpersoonlijkheid-van-het-jaar/ |website=sportgala.be/nl |language=nl}}</ref>
* Honorary citizen of [[Menen]]: 2013<ref>{{Cite web |date=9 December 2013 |title=Frederik Van Lierde ereburger van Menen |url=https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20131208_00877399 |website=[[Het Nieuwsblad]] |language=nl}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.lucvanlierde.com Personal website]
*[http://outside.away.com/magazine/1197/9711ass.html Outside magazine, November 1997]
*[http://www.triathlon.org/athletes/profile/luc_van_lierde/ Luc Van Lierde ITU Profile Page]

{{Footer World Champions Triathlon Men Long}}
{{Footer Ironman Triathlon World Champions men}}
{{Footer European Champions Triathlon Men}}
{{Belgian Sportsperson of the Year}}
{{Belgian National Sports Merit Award}}
{{Flemish Sportsjewel}}
{{Vlaamse Reus}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Van Lierde, Luc}}
[[Category:Belgian male triathletes]]
[[Category:Ironman world champions]]
[[Category:1969 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Bruges]]
[[Category:Triathlon coaches]]
[[Category:20th-century Belgian sportsmen]]