# Julien Watrin

Julien Watrin (born 27 June 1992) is a Belgian sprinter specialising in the 400 metres. In 2023, he won his first individual major senior medal, with silver at the European Indoor Championships. Watrin earned several major medals with national men's 4 × 400 m relays, including bronzes at the 2019 and 2022 World Athletics Championships.
He is the Belgian record holder for the 400 m hurdles, Belgian indoor record holder for the 400 m, and won several national titles.
He was diagnosed with testicular cancer in September 2023 which prevented him from participating in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. After successful treatment, he made his return on the international stage at the 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn, The Netherlands, winning a silver medal as a member of Belgium's 4×400 m mixed relay team and a bronze medal as a member of Belgium's men 4×400 m relay team.

## Statistics
### International competitions

Representing  Belgium :
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Time |
| 2009 | European Youth Olympic Festival | Tampere, Finland | 2nd | 100 m | 10.82 |
| 2009 | European Youth Olympic Festival | Tampere, Finland | 1st | 200 m | 21.06 |
| 2009 | European Youth Olympic Festival | Tampere, Finland | 3rd | 4 × 100 m relay | 41.69 |
| 2010 | World Junior Championships | Moncton, Canada | 7th | 100 m | 10.56 |
| 2010 | World Junior Championships | Moncton, Canada | 9th (sf) | 200 m | 21.12 w |
| 2010 | World Junior Championships | Moncton, Canada | 13th (h) | 4 × 100 m relay | 40.43 |
| 2011 | European Junior Championships | Tallinn, Estonia | – | 200 m | DNF |
| 2013 | European U23 Championships | Tampere, Finland | 1st | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:04.90 |
| 2013 | Jeux de la Francophonie | Nice, France | 4th | 200 m | 21.56 |
| 2013 | Jeux de la Francophonie | Nice, France | 3rd | 4 × 100 m relay | 39.58 |
| 2014 | World Relays | Nassau, Bahamas | 1st (B) | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:02.97 |
| 2014 | European Championships | Zürich, Switzerland | 23rd (h) | 400 m | 46.31 |
| 2014 | European Championships | Zürich, Switzerland | 7th | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:02.60 |
| 2015 | European Indoor Championships | Prague, Czech Republic | 1st | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:02.87 WL AR |
| 2015 | World Relays | Nassau, Bahamas | 3rd | 4 × 400 m relay | 2:59.33 |
| 2016 | European Championships | Amsterdam, Netherlands | 10th (sf) | 400 m | 45.76 |
| 2016 | European Championships | Amsterdam, Netherlands | 1st | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:01.10 |
| 2016 | Olympic Games | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 4th | 4 × 400 m relay | 2:58.52 |
| 2017 | European Indoor Championships | Belgrade, Serbia | 2nd | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:07.80 |
| 2017 | World Relays | Nassau, Bahamas | 2nd (B) | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:07.14 |
| 2018 | European Championships | Berlin, Germany | 4th (h) | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:02.55 |
| 2019 | European Indoor Championships | Glasgow, United Kingdom | 1st | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:06.27 |
| 2019 | World Relays | Yokohama, Japan | 8th (h) | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:03.70 |
| 2019 | World Championships | Doha, Qatar | 3rd (h) | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:00.87 |
| 2022 | World Indoor Championships | Belgrade, Serbia | 6th (sf) | 400 m | 46.54 |
| 2022 | World Indoor Championships | Belgrade, Serbia | 1st | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:06.52 |
| 2022 | World Championships | Eugene, OR, United States | 14th (sf) | 400 m hurdles | 49.52 |
| 2022 | World Championships | Eugene, OR, United States | 3rd | 4 × 400 m relay | 2:58.72 |
| 2022 | European Championships | Munich, Germany | 6th | 400 m hurdles | 48.98 |
| 2022 | European Championships | Munich, Germany | 2nd | 4 × 400 m relay | 2:59.49 |
| 2023 | European Indoor Championships | Istanbul, Turkey | 2nd | 400 m | 45.44 |
| 2023 | European Indoor Championships | Istanbul, Turkey | 1st | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:05.83 |
| 2023 | World Championships | Budapest, Hungary | 17th (sf) | 400 m hurdles | 48.94 |
| 2023 | World Championships | Budapest, Hungary | 9th (h) | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:00.33 |
| 2025 | European Indoor Championships | Apeldoorn, The Netherlands | 2nd | Mixed 4 × 400 metres relay | 3:16.19 |
| 2025 | European Indoor Championships | Apeldoorn, The Netherlands | 3rd | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:05.18 SB |

### Personal bests

* 100 metres – 10.39 (+1.5 m/s, Mannheim 2010) NU20R
* 200 metres – 20.80 (−0.4 m/s, Brussels 2013)
** 200 metres indoor – 20.90 (Ghent 2023)
* 400 metres – 45.56 (La Chaux-de-Fonds 2021)
** 400 metres indoor – 45.44 (Istanbul 2023) NR
* 400 m hurdles – 48.66 (Brussels 2022) NR

### National titles

* Belgian Athletics Championships
** 100 metres: 2012, 2013
** 200 metres: 2020
** 400 metres: 2016
** 400 m hurdles: 2019
* Belgian Indoor Athletics Championships
** 400 metres: 2022