Ilona Masson

Happy birthday to Belgium’s triple jumper Ilona Masson, who is three centimetres off her country’s record and finished fourth in Europe this month.

July, Thonon-les-Bains: 14.52m, a personal best, the second-longest triple jump in Belgian history, and three centimetres from a national record that has stood since 2010. Then Birmingham. Ilona opened the European Championships final and improved to 14.37m in the second round, finishing fourth on the continent. It was the first time two Belgian women have ever reached a European triple jump final, and her response to that was simply: c’est super chouette.

2026 has been the year it all came together. National indoor champion in March, national outdoor champion in July in the rain, and a first-attempt 14.35m to qualify third overall for that European final. She already holds the Belgian U23 record, 13.69m, which she took off a mark that had stood for fifteen years.

The triple jump asks for three separate landings on the same leg at full sprinting speed, which is why so few people are any good at it. Ilona also works as a physiotherapist, so she knows precisely what she is asking of herself.

Joyeux anniversaire, Ilona! Je te souhaite santé, bonheur et une année encore plus grande — bonne continuation! 🎂🎁🎉🫶🫶🇧🇪