Compernolle died in a military accident after running a season's best 3,000m at the Gouden Spike in Leiden (NED). The 32-year-old competed in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, and was 10th in the 5,000m final of the European Championships 2006, he also competed seven times in the SPAR European Cross Country Championships between 1998 and 2005.  Compernolle boasted a 5,000m best time of 13:14.75 from 2004.