Sports minister hopes to resolve dispute between Thiam and athletics federation
The Sports minister of the French community, Jacqueline Galant, has offered to mediate in the dispute between heptathlete Nafi Thiam and Belgian Athletics.
The three-time Olympic champion and her federation have been at loggerheads in recent months over conflicts relating to sponsorship and image rights. Unsettled by the row, Thiam had a poor start to last week’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo and decided to withdraw after five of the seven disciplines.
The 31-year-old's team claimed she was not welcome at the pre-camp for the event, and pictures of her receiving physio treatment in the open air drew widespread criticism on social media.
“There is undoubtedly no single truth or exclusive responsibility in this case,” said Galant, who has previously refrained from commenting on the situation.
"Nafissatou Thiam is much more than a champion. She is a source of inspiration and pride for our entire country"
Keen to find “structural solutions”, she will meet officials from the federation this week “to shed light on the circumstances that led to these tensions, hear their analysis and ask them to identify concrete ways to prevent such difficulties from recurring”.
Galant, of liberal party MR, said she was available to Thiam and her staff for “constructive dialogue, in order to work together to prepare the best conditions for the rest of her career”.
Courage and excellence
Flemish Sport minister Annick De Ridder of N-VA said she had asked the regional sports federation to draw up a timeline with all the relevant information before consulting with her francophone counterparts. “We will definitely follow up on this,” she said.
Galant is calling on all parties to “turn the page on the comments and attacks in the press and on social media. They serve neither the athletes, nor the federations, nor the image of sport”.
“Nafissatou Thiam is much more than a champion. She is a source of inspiration and pride for our entire country,” she said. “For many, she embodies courage and excellence. I wish her all the energy and serenity she needs to successfully continue on her exceptional journey.”
After winning her third Olympic gold medal in Paris last summer, Thiam chose to skip several major competitions in order to concentrate on Tokyo.
Nafi Thiam at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, 20 September 2025 © BELGA PHOTO JASPER JACOBS
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