Nafissatou Thiam Belgian track and field athlete Date of Birth: 19.08.1994 Country: Belgium

1. Nafi Thiam: Belgian Heptathlete and Olympic Champion
2. Early Life and Career
3. Junior Career and Breakthrough
4. International Success
5. Olympic Glory
6. Academic and Personal Life

Nafi Thiam: Belgian Heptathlete and Olympic Champion

Nafi Thiam is a Belgian track and field athlete specializing in heptathlon. She is the reigning Olympic champion in the event, having won the gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Early Life and Career

Born in Namur, Belgium, to a Belgian mother and a Senegalese father, Thiam was raised primarily by her mother following her parents' separation. She began competing in athletics at the age of seven, joining the RFC Liégeois club in Liège.

Junior Career and Breakthrough

Thiam quickly rose through the ranks, earning a bronze medal in long jump at the Belgian Indoor Athletics Championships in 2011. She finished fourth in the heptathlon at the World Youth Championships that same year. In 2013, she made headlines by setting a world junior record in the pentathlon at the Indoor Flanders Meeting with a score of 4558 points. Despite the remarkable achievement, the record was not officially recognized by the IAAF due to the absence of a doping control officer after the competition.

International Success

Thiam earned her first international medals in 2014, winning bronze in the heptathlon at the European Athletics Championships and silver in the indoor pentathlon at the European Athletics Indoor Championships the following year. She finished 11th in the heptathlon at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing.

Olympic Glory

At the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, Thiam reached the pinnacle of her career by winning the gold medal in the heptathlon. She set personal bests in five of the seven events and tied for the highest jump in the high jump with British athlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson.

Academic and Personal Life

Alongside her athletic pursuits, Thiam is also an accomplished student, studying geography at the University of Liège. She is known for her versatility and athleticism, and has been recognized as a role model for young athletes in Belgium and beyond.