Nafissatou Thiam Opens Season with Strong Showing at Belgian Inter-Club Championships

By Adam Kopet

Nafissatou Thiam showed she has recovered from the calf injury that kept her from competing indoors this year by setting a 200-meter personal best Saturday at the Belgian Inter Club Championships, according to European Athletics.

Thiam is the reigning world champion in the heptathlon and ranks third on the all-time performer list with 7,013 points from her 2017 win in Gotzis. She will attempt to defend her world title and become the third woman to do so.

Racing the 200 meters Saturday in Gaurain-Ramecroix, Thiam ran 24.37 into a +1.5 m/s headwind. Her previous best of 24.40 came in her 2017 Gotzis performance.

 

 

 

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Finally back in competition!! 🥳 Happy with my new PB on 200m and looking forward to my next competition 🤩 1 month left before my 1st heptathlon!�🌪 📷 @lucienlambotte

A post shared by Nafi Thiam (@thiam_nafi) on May 19, 2019 at 9:01am PDT

Thiam also competed in the javelin and 4x100 relay. Her best mark in the javelin was 172-11 (52.71m) and her relay team ran 47.97.

Thiam will miss Gotzis this year, which begins Saturday. She will instead make her season debut in the heptathlon next month at Decastar in Talence, France. Talence was the site of Kevin Mayer's decathlon world record last year, although Decastar has been moved from late September to June to better fit this year's international schedule that has the IAAF World Outdoor Championships beginning at the end of September.