Not one, but two world titles now show off in Nafi Thiam’s trophy cabinet. Our compatriot turned a backlog in the final 800 meters to a golden course. A very strong performance, which also did not leave the heptathlon star unmoved: “It was a duel on the edge.”
“I knew I could do it, yes.”
With a wall-to-wall smile – a little bit of relief – Nafi Thiam tells her story in front of Sporza’s micro. “I am very happy to win the world title again,” says the best heptathlon player of the moment.
“The level in the heptathlon was extremely high. I am impressed by the scores that were set. It was a duel at the cutting edge, so I am pleased that I could finish so strong to take the gold after all .”
I was in a position that I was not used to otherwise.
For the first time, Nafi Thiam did not have to estimate how much time she could lose on the closing 800 meters, but she had to hunt for her competitor for the gold, Anouk Vetter. “I was very stressed. Not that I would never be stressed, but now I was in a position that I was not used to.”
“During the race I couldn’t estimate how well Anouk Vetter was running, so I just gave it my all.” And it paid off: a personal record and a new gold medal were the result.
Thiam seemed to finish her songs with a lot of confidence in recent days. Does she handle the pressure of the favorite role more easily? “That wasn’t always the case on the slopes,” she laughs. “But I was very focused and got into good form.”
Coach Lespagnard: “I knew she could do it”
“She did what we agreed on in the 800 meters”, Roger Lespagnard, Thiam’s trainer, opened afterwards.
“She dared to go full throttle. I knew she was able to turn everything around again. Mentally she was ready. She respected the plan to the end. It’s the first time she had to fight so hard to win.”
“I knew she could do it,” the 75-year-old from Liège continued. “With her qualities I am sure she can do even better in the future. She suffered from some injuries at the beginning of the season. Without those injuries she has the potential to break records.”
