Nafi Thiam Withdraws from World Championships Amid Struggles

Belgium's Nafi Thiam, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, made headlines as she withdrew from the heptathlon at the world championships following a lackluster performance in the long jump. According to numerous Belgian media outlets' reports, a subpar jump resulted in her falling far behind the leader, Anna Hall. This setback pressured her coach to make the tough decision of withdrawing her from the evening's javelin and 800 meters events.

Thiam, who previously clinched world titles in 2017 and 2022, was visibly upset following her underwhelming morning session. She expressed her disappointment, citing, "I started today determined to finish strong, especially after working so hard this year, but things didn't pan out." The misfortune led her to call the championship a "real black cloud."

The 31-year-old's journey to the championships was marred by disputes with her national federation over image rights, leading to her exclusion from the pre-championships camp. The impact of this row on her Tokyo performance remains uncertain, as Thiam conveyed: "It's hard to quantify, but regardless of the reason, my feelings about this situation remain unchanged."