Christian Belz
Christian Belz ( born September 11, 1974 in Zurich ) is a former Swiss long-distance runner. He is a Swiss record holder in the 3000 meter steeple run and the 10,000 -meter run, 18 - time Swiss champion and two-time participant in the Olympic Summer Games.
Biography
Mid-1990s, he specialized benefited moderately on the 3,000-meter steeplechase, from 1998. At the World Athletics Championships in 1999 in Seville and at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney he left in the flow. He was fifth at the European Cross Country Championships, came at the World Championships in Edmonton on the 13th place and won the bronze medal at the Universiade 2001. After he made the final in the 3,000-meter steeplechase not reached at the European Athletics Championships in 2002, he started there in the 5000 -meter run, reaching the 12th place. After that Belz focused on the flat distances.
In 2003 he occupied at the World Cross Country Championships the number 18 on the short distance and at the World Championships in Paris / Saint- Denis 13th over 5000 meters at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, he came over dieselb distance is not beyond the lead.
In 2005 he was able to break the 20 -year-old national record by Markus Ryffel in the 10,000 -meter run and was elected to the Swiss athletes of the year. The following year, Belz took part in the European Championships in Gothenburg in the 10,000 meters the thankless fourth place. In October 2006, Belz announced to switch to the half marathon and marathon.
2007 started the season for him with a track record in running Reuss (10,5 km) and the Swiss champion in the 10-kilometer road race. His marathon debut Belz at Cologne Marathon. The limits for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, he missed there for about one and a half minutes. A second attempt for the limit wanted Belz take on Zurich Marathon. However Belz could not go to the start and therefore do not qualify for the Beijing Games due to injury.
After over a year break from competition Belz ran on Kerzerslauf 2009 as the best Swiss to seventh place, in September he won the Swiss championship in the half marathon his second title on the street, and the best Swiss at Zurich New Year's run, he secured the end of year victory in the post - Cup. 2010 Belz was the 10,000 - meter race at the European Athletics Championships in Barcelona to sixth place. After the Zurich New Year's run, the Christian Belz finished as the best Swiss seventh, he gave 12 December 2010 his resignation from the top sports known. Belz but continues to participate in road races and running there still with in the national forefront. So he finished the Grand Prix of Bern in 2011 as the best Swiss in twelfth place.
Belz started for the city Turnverein Bern and was trained by Gerhard Dieboldswyler. 1996 studied until 1998, and ran Belz at the University of Washington in Seattle, where he made it to an All American. He completed his studies with a Bachelor of Arts. Belz is a research associate of Sports Economics FOSPO ( Federal Office for Sport ). He is married to the former 800 -meter Olympian Anita Brägger, together they have two daughters.