Golden Spike (Belgium)
Open-knowledge reference entry

The Gouden Spike (English: Golden Spike) is the most important athletics prize in Belgium, first awarded in 1954.
Until 1987, the prize was alternated between track and field disciplines to the athlete with the best performance of the last two years among the athletes who never won the prize; because it was only possible to win the prize once. Since 1974, for the first time an award for female athletes was also added.
Since 1988 the best male and female athlete and also the best male and female Belgian young talent of the year are elected. From that year on, in the main categories there is also an award for the second and third place (respectively called Zilveren Spike (English: Silver Spike) and Bronzen Spike (English: Bronze Spike).
This Belgian athletics prize is not to be confused with the award given at the Gouden Spike competition held annually in Leiden, Netherlands.
Winners
Athlete with best performance
Best athlete
References
Winners list
SPIKE D’OR GOUDEN SPIKE Archived 2019-11-12 at the Wayback Machine. Belgian Athletics. Retrieved 2020-03-19.
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