Thiam pips Schafer for heptathlon crown
Olympic champion Nafi Thiam added the world crown to her accolades with victory in the heptathlon on Sunday.
The 21-year-old Belgian amassed a winning total of 6,784 points, with overnight leader Carolin Schafer of Germany taking silver with 6,696.
Dutchwoman Anouk Vetter claimed bronze (6,636).
“It’s really incredible, I’m very happy,” said Thiam, who trailed in a distant last in the seventh and final event, the 800m, and was made to wait for confirmation of her victory.
“The 800m is not my favourite! But everybody has to do it.”
Thiam clocked 13.54sec in Saturday’s opening event of the gruelling seven-discipline event, the 100m hurdles, the 11th fastest time.
She then cleared 1.95m in the high jump, managed a leading 15.17m in the shot put, before Schafer easily trumped her 24.57sec in the 200m for a narrow overall lead.
But the Belgian university student battled back on Sunday, going out to 6.57m in the long jump before nailing 53.93m with the javelin and struggling around the 800m in 2:21.42, just enough to see off the threat posed by German policewoman Schafer, who was fifth in Rio.
