Ward Pétré
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| Nationality | Belgian | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 30 January 1997 Sint-Truiden [1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 75 kg (165 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Country | Belgium | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Short track speed skating | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Ward Pétré (born 30 January 1997) is a Belgian short track speed skater. At the 2026 Winter Olympics, he won a bronze medal in the mixed team relay.
Career
Pétré was short track speed skating since he was nine at shorttrackclub YDS in Hasselt, Belgium and joined the national team at sixteen where he was primarily a member of the relay team, both in the men's and mixed relays. He won several medals with these teams at European Championships and World Cups.[2] He competed in the 2018 Winter Olympics.[3] He won a bronze medal in the 2026 Winter Olympics with Belgium's team in the mixed 2000 metre relay short-track speed skating.[4] He was the first Belgian from the province of Limburg to win an medal at the Winter Olympic Games.[5] A month later the Belgian mixed relay team and Pétré took again a bronze medal on a world stage coming in third in the 2000 m relay at the 2026 World Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Montreal, Canada.[6]
Personal life
Pétré was eight when his sister and he were given inline skates for their birthday. As their father wanted them to take lessons first, he started skating for toddlers at the ice rink De Schaverdijn in Hasselt, Belgium.[7]
Besides skating, Pétré did classical ballet for sixteen years (where he met his future wife) and learned to play various musical instruments: first percussion, later trumpet and horn, and finally piano and guitar.[7] Pétré holds an Educational Bachelor in Physical Education and Recreation from Hogeschool PXL and is a professional soldier.[1]
References
- ^ a b "De Limburgse jaren van de olympische shorttrackers: op appartement met een witte python" [The Limburg years of the Olympic short trackers: in an apartment with a white python] (in Dutch). Het Belang van Limburg. 10 February 2026. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
- ^ "Shorttracker Ward stapt in het huwelijksbootje" [Short tracker Ward gets married] (in Dutch). Royal Belgian Speed skating Federation. 30 March 2025. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
- ^ "Ward Petre". Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Winter Games. Archived from the original on 10 February 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
- ^ "Winter Olympics: Belgium take bronze in speed skating mixed relay". Belga News Agency. 10 February 2026. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
- ^ "Familie van bronzen Ward Pétré reageert apetrots: "Eindelijk beloond voor al die jaren trainen"" [The family of bronze medalist Ward Pétré reacts with great pride: "Finally rewarded for all those years of training"] (in Dutch). Het Nieuwsblad. 10 February 2026. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
- ^ "Canadian men deliver golden finale, while Rim stuns with 1000m gold". International Skating Union. 15 March 2026. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ^ a b "Herkenaar Ward Pétré jaagt op eeuwige roem op Winterspelen: "We ruiken dat er meer in zit"" [Ward Pétré from Herk-de-Stad is chasing eternal fame at the Winter Games: "We smell there's more in store."] (in Dutch). Het Belang van Limburg. 10 February 2026. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
External links
- Ward Petre at the International Skating Union
- Ward Pétré at ShortTrackOnLine.info
- Ward Pétré at Olympics.com
- Ward Pétré at Team Belgium (in Dutch)
- Ward Pétré at Olympedia
- Ward Pétré at InterSportStats
- Ward Petre at Milano Cortina 2026