Triple Olympic heptathlon champion Nafissatou Thiam has withdrawn from the event at the world championships in Tokyo after completing only five of the seven disciplines.
Her agent, Helena Van der Plaetsen, confirmed her decision, while her coach, Michael Van Der Plaetsen, told Belgian media that “it makes no sense for her to continue.”
The 31-year-old Belgian entered the competition with hopes of surpassing Carolina Kluft’s European record of 7,032 points but struggled from the outset. By the end of Friday, she was placed sixth after a poor 200m, and on Saturday morning, she fell to eighth overall following a disappointing long jump of 5.99m. Visibly emotional, Thiam admitted: “I think beyond the performances, really, the hardest thing for me is telling myself that I wanted to come here and have fun, and that wasn’t the case at all.”
Her withdrawal comes amid ongoing tensions with the Belgian athletics federation, which she accuses of mistreatment after her refusal to sign a code of conduct regarding image rights. Thiam alleged the federation denied her proper training camp arrangements and refused accreditation for her physiotherapist. The federation rejected these claims.
Her coach, however, said the conflict had deeply affected her, adding: “We have tried to protect her over the last few weeks, but in the end, it has had a big impact on her performances. I am ashamed of being Belgian.”
What You Should Know
Nafissatou Thiam, Belgium’s three-time Olympic heptathlon champion, ended her Tokyo world championship run early after struggling in key events.
Her decision comes amid a heated dispute with the Belgian athletics federation, which she says contributed to her loss of focus and poor performance.
