Belgian Triple Olympic Champion Thiam Withdraws From World Heptathlon After Disappointing Performance Amid Federation Dispute

Belgium's triple Olympic heptathlon champion Nafi Thiam withdrew from the 2025 World Championships after a disappointing long jump left her with little chance of medaling. Despite aiming to break the European heptathlon record, Thiam struggled throughout the competition and was withdrawn by her coach before the javelin and 800 meters events. She expressed deep disappointment, calling the championship a "real black cloud" and acknowledging that she had hoped to fight until the end but could not overcome her struggles. Thiam's preparation was disrupted by a dispute with the Belgian athletics federation over image rights, which led to her exclusion from the pre-championship training camp, although the federation denied her allegations. Her coach acknowledged the impact of the dispute on her performance, expressing shame over the situation. Thiam remains uncertain about how much the conflict influenced her results but confirmed her emotional state was adversely affected.