Nafi Thiam makes comeback at Belgian Championships after year out of competition
Heptathlete Nafi Thiam will make her first appearance in a year this weekend at the Belgian Athletics Championships in Brussels. Alongside Thiam’s comeback, her teammates will be hoping to qualify for next month’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
Thiam will compete in the 100m hurdles and the long jump. She has not competed since August 2024, after winning her third Olympic gold medal in Paris.
The most important event in her calendar is the World Championships, from 13-21 September. She will be looking for her third heptathlon world title in Tokyo, following victories in 2017 and 2022.
Seeking qualification
Seventeen Belgian athletes have qualified for the World Championships so far, with 12 of them taking part in the meeting at the King Baudouin Stadium on Saturday and Sunday.
Elise Vanderelst and Jana Van Lent will compete in the 5,000m. Vanderelst has already qualified for the 1,500m but 5,000m is her preferred distance. Paulien Couckuyt will run the 400m hurdles and Naomi Van den Broeck the 400m.
In the men’s events, Eliott Crestan and Ruben Verheyden will compete in the 800m. Alexander Doom will run the 200m, Daniel Segers the 400m and Pieter Sisk the 1,500m. Ben Broeders will compete in the pole vault.
Heptathlete Noor Vidts and middle-distance runner Jochem Vermeulen are out with injuries, while Isaac Kimeli is unable to attend. Marathon runners Bashir Abdi and Koen Naert are not expected to compete.
Fifteen athletes who have not yet secured their World Championship tickets but are still in contention via the rankings will also be competing and hoping for a strong performance to improve their ranking.
In the women's events, these include Rani Rosius and Delphine Nkansa in the 100m, Imke Vervaet in the 200m and Helena Ponette in the 400m.
The men's team includes Michael Obasuyi and Elie Bacari in the 110m hurdles, Jonathan Sacoor in the 400m, and Thomas Carmoy and Jef Vermeiren in the high jump.
Thiam is also scheduled to compete in the high jump at the same venue in the Memorial Van Damme on 22 August.
Nafi Thiam at the Paris Olympics where she won her third heptathlon gold medal, August 2024 © PRESSESPORTS
Related news
