Reigning heptathlon world champion Nafi Thiam on missing the Worlds : "It's frustrating, but I don't want to jeopardise the Olympic year"
The Belgian has been forced to withdraw from the World Championships due to an Achilles tendon injury.
Athletics
Olympic and world champion Nafi Thiam is gutted that she will miss the 2023 World Athletics Championships with an Achilles tendon injury.
The Belgian has been struggling with her Achilles and even pulled out of two events at last weekend’s National Championships, just weeks after skipping the Diamond League meetings in Monaco and London.
She had failed to confirm her participation for the worlds that begin on August 19 with the heptathlon events.
And on Wednesday, August 9, the Belgian Athletics Federation announced that their country’s leading medal contender would not compete at the championships.
Thiam shared her disappointment.
"I’ve taken the decision not to participate in the world championships in Budapest later this month. The last part of my preparation has been disturbed by achilles tendons problems and I do not want to risk aggravating and jeopardize the coming olympic year,"she posted on her social media.
"It is frustrating having to skip a major championship and not getting to show what I am capable of, but opportunities to grow are wherever you’re trying to find them."
The double European, world, and Olympic champion in the discipline was the firm favourite for the gold. She's been in great shape after breaking the pentathlon world record with 5,055 points at the European Indoors last March.
Thiam will now focus on her full recovery as she aims for a third consecutive gold medal at the Paris Olympics next year.
"My road to Paris is just starting a bit earlier than planned and I’m already at work to get there better than ever."
The 28-year-old and Jackie Joyner-Kersee are the only women to win two heptathlon titles at both the Olympics and worlds.