Amy Mbacke Thiam celebrates the 2001 world title – from:gettyimages.it
Article by Giovanni Manenti
Se Senegal is included in the respective Olympic and World Championship medal tables for Athleticsowes it exclusively to two of its representatives, belonging on a “level playing field” to the two distinct male and female sectors, even if both in the 400 meters specialty, despite the difference between the flat distance and the obstacle distance…
Between them, the most famous is undoubtedly Amadou Dia Ba – which we have already discussed – a specialist in low barriers and who, at the 1988 Seoul Games contributed to putting an end to the epic of “legendary” American Edwin Moses, even coming close to winning Gold with second place behind (47″19 to 47″23) the other American André Phillips, a time which at the time represented the third best performance ever and still 11th in the relative “All Time Ranking”.
Dia Ba was also a finalist at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, where he ranked fifth in 49″28 and at the first two editions of the World Championships in Helsinki 1983 and Rome 1987obtaining the seventh and fifth position with the respective times of 49″61 and 48″37, as well as having won four consecutive titles in the 400m at the African Championships in the editions of Cairo 1982, Rabat 1984, again in Cairo in 1985 and at Annaba 1988 …
Certainly less productive in terms of results, but equally positive in terms of medals, she is, vice versa, the female protagonist of our history today, that is to say Amy Mbacké Thiam, born on 10 November 1976 in Kaolack, a city of over 200 thousand inhabitants in the region of the same name, which experienced its most successful period at the beginning of the new Millennium.
Its first appearance of some importance occurs on the occasion of the “Francophonie Games” which take place in Antananarivo in September 1997 and which see her placing fourth in 53″25 in the race won by the French Marie-Louise Bévis with a time of 52″91, the same placing repeated by Thiam the following year at the African Championships held in her homeland in Dakardespite improving in 52″39 in the Final speaking Nigerian, with Falilat Ogunkoya preceding (50″07 to 50″13) her compatriot Charity Opara…
These results certify that, in order to aspire to the podium in one of the major international events, it is necessary4 at least to go below the “barrier of 50″ net”, which for the 22-year-old Thiam still seems quite far away, despite having recorded his best time of the season in 51”60 winning the French National Championships in Dijon.
The latter is a title that the Senegalese also repeats in the following two years winning in 51″46 at the beginning of August 1999 in Niort and in 51″49 on 6 August 2000 in Niceseasons which saw her involved in the 1999 World Championships in Seville, as well as in theEnd of the Millennium Games” in Sydney 2000…
In Andalusia, the Thiam presents itself being dropped for the first time in her career under 51″ net, thanks to 50″95 at the beginning of August at the Monte Carlo Meeting, but the competition on an absolute level is too strong and, despite she improved further up to 50″77, this time allowed her to finish no better than seventh in the second semi-finalwhere the Nigerians Olabisi Afolabi and Opara were also eliminated, with the world title goes to the Australian Cathy Freeman who precedes the German (49″67 to 49″74) Anja Rucker.
Freeman who repeats the title won two years earlier in Athens and who is one of the announced stars, also thanks to his Aboriginal dress, the Sydney Olympics not betraying expectations thanks to 49″11 with which she precedes the Jamaican Lorraine Graham and the British Katharine Merry by a wide marginwho finished in 49″58 and 49″72 respectively, while Thiam did not overcome the hurdle of the semi-finals this time too, repeating seventh place with a time of 51″60…
For the Senegalese, which the previous year he had won his first two laurels with bronze in the individual race in 50″95 behind the Nigerian pair Ogulkoya/Afolabi and silver in the relay (always behind the unbeatable Nigerians) at theAll Africa Games” in Johannesburgthe objective of going below the aforementioned “ remains even more validbarrier of 50″ clear”, given that in the Olympic Final the top five classified achieved this goal and the sixth, the South African Heide Seyerling, finished in 50”05.
Certainly, to reach such a goal, it also helps to obtain some victories, a circumstance that Thiam experiences in its favor when in mid-July 2001 they were held in Ottawain Canada, “The Francophonie Games”, a sort of final preparation in view of the World Championships scheduled two weeks later in Edmonton…
Even if deserted by the best French specialists, this demonstration sees the now 24 year old Senegalese won the 400 m final with his best time of the season of 50″92 ahead of the representative of Chad Kaltouma Nadjina (who had won the Gold in the 200 metres…), thus representing a comforting injection of confidence in view of the World Championships.
For athletes who cannot “afford“to dominate the scene for a long time, some favorable circumstances must occur in order to emerge, the first of which obviously lies in the being in the best physical condition at the right time, perhaps combined with a decline in form or absence of the main opponents…
From this last point, Thiam certainly favors Thiam the absence of Olympic Champion Freeman, who temporarily retired from the scene to assist her husband suffering from throat cancer, but there are other Sydney finalists the silver Graham-Fenton is present, as are the British Donna Fraser and the Mexican Ana Guevara (fourth and fifth respectively in Australia), in addition to Ogunkoya.
A good test bed therefore, for a race on the opening lap of the track on 5 August 2001 with the heat dispute which saw the Senegalese win the sixth series in 50″99 – second best overall time tied with Guevara after the German Gritt Breuer with 50”71 – and then providing a convincing performance the following day in the second of the three semi-finals, when she precedes (50″21 to 50″38) the aforementioned Nadjina, with both athletes achieving their respective records national…
It is also confirmed to be in good condition Breuer, who won the first series in 50″32 ahead of the Russian Olesya Zykina, while in third two of the favorites enter the Final, namely Guevara and Graham-Fenton, with higher times of 50″58 and 50″61 respectively.
Pretactic or syntony of an approximate condition, this can only be clarified by the unquestionable judge, that is to say the track, where the eight finalists line up in the starting blocks at 8.45pm local time on Tuesday 7 August 2001, with the Thiam placed in the fourth laneso as to act as a point of reference for the Mexican in third, but with Breuer, Nadjina and Graham-Fenton in her sights who start in front of her…
A Final, therefore, without major favorites and which confirms itself as such, with to show up in four more or less in the same line at the entrance to the finishing straightwhere Guevara, who made the most of the inside lane in the curve, initially seems to have won, but, while the German progressively gives in, Thiam reacts halfway and then resists the Jamaican’s attack on the outside and grabs a “historical” statement with his “Personal Best” in the career of 49″86 ahead of Graham-Fenton by just 0″02 cents, with Guevara completing the podium in 49”97.
Having obtained what, to this day, it is the only Gold Medal in Athletics for Senegal between the Olympics and World Championshipsimmediately projects Thiam to third place in the end-of-year ranking drawn up by the prestigious US magazine “Track & Field News”, although it is now called upon to confirm itself in the following years…
Which did not happen in 2002, a very subdued season, only to then re-emerge in the following one, which sees the key event as the World Championships at the end of August 2003 in Paris Saint-Deniswhich represents the home of the sprinter, registered for the “Racing Club” of the transalpine capital, an occasion to which presents itself with two comforting performances at the Berlin Meetings and at the “World class” in Zurich, where he finished in 50”67 and 50”14 respectively.
Accustomed to giving her best in large events, even on the trackStade de France” the 26 year old Thiam appears to be in good condition winning his heat in 50″86, the best time everjust as she is first across the finish line in 50″78 in the first of the three semi-finalseven if they do it better Bahamian Tonique Williams-Darling preceded (50″43 to 50″45) Graham-Fenton in the second, like Guevara who won third in 50″68…
And so, when the eight finalists line up on the starting blocks of the Final which kicks off at 9.50pm on 27 August 2003it is common opinion that a repeat of what was seen two years earlier in Canada could be staged, with only Williams-Darling being able to play the role of “fourth wheel”, positioning himself in the fourth lane, with the Mexican to his left and the Jamaican to his right, while the reigning champion, drawn in sixth, acts as a point of reference to the others.
Not being able to set the race on his closest opponents, that’s it Thiam opted for a fast start which led her to take the lead halfway through the raceonly to pay the price on the second curve, so much so that it has already been at the entrance to the straight surpassed by Guevara and flanked by Graham-Fenton, while Williams appears hopelessly detached…
Burned by the experience of Edmonton this time the Mexican distributes her energy in the best possible way, winning by a large margin (48″89 to 49″43) over the Jamaican, while Thiam barely manages to save the bronze (49”95 to 49”98) from the return to the outside of the Russian Natalya Nazarova.
For the Senegalese there isn’t much to complain about, having once again set her best time of the season, which brings her back to third place in the end-of-season rankingbut what is surprising is that this is, unexpectedly, the last high note of his career, given that, expected as a protagonist at the Athens Games, she doesn’t even manage to pass the heats, even fifth in the third series with a very mediocre 52″44…
Four-centimeter athlete who tries to find his best form in the following two years, when won two more French national titles – in 2005 in Angers in 51”47 and in 2006 in Nancy in 61”26 – but now the pinnacle of the specialty is far away, managing to reach the Final only at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki, where she also finished eighth in 52″22 (after running in 50″83 in the semi-final…) in the race that crowned Williams-Darlingalready Gold the year before in Athens, preceding (49″55 to 49″74) the American Sanya Richards, with Guevara completing the podium who had won silver in the Greek capital.
They add little to the Senegalese’s Palmarès the victory in 52″22 in the Final of the 2006 African Championships held in Mauritiusas well as the silver of the 2010 edition which takes place in Nairobi, Kenya, preceded (50″03 to 51″32) by the representative of Botswana Amantle Montsho – who the following year will win the world title at the Daegu Exhibition – a placement also replicated at the “All Africa Games” 2011 in Mozambique, where he gives up again (50”87 to 51”77) in front of Montsho…
However, the fact remains that, if Senegal is looked for in the Olympic medal table relating to Athletics (and also absolute…), only the name of Amadou Dia Ba is added to this country, so Among the medalists at the World Athletics Championships, the name of Amy Mbacké Thiam stands out exclusively for the African nationAnd if you please …
2024-04-30 17:49:11
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