On Monday evening, Nafissatou Thiam became a two-time heptathlon World Champion, capping off a great day for Belgian sport.
With three events remaining, Nafissatou Thiam seemed poised to add to her medal collection.
However, Anouk Vetter of the Netherlands, who had been trailing her in the standings, managed to overtake her before the final 800m race. This meant that Thiam had to overcome a 19-point deficit going into the race.
She finished fifth overall in the race but defeated Vetter by 7 seconds, earning her a second World Title.
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Following the final event, Nafi expressed her joy and relief at her triumph, especially after suffering from finger and back problems earlier in the season.
"Every day I was in tears, unsure over what to do, if I should skip this championship in order to recover," She told reporters. "But when I look at what I've accomplished, it's insane, and I'm just so proud."
As always, she didn't lack self-belief, even before the 800m race, claiming in an interview that "I felt fairly certain that I could accomplish it running the manner I am capable of doing."
"I finished with 6,947 points (her greatest ever total in a major championship), if that wasn't enough, I don't know what else I could have done!" She concluded.
Thiam now has four gold medals from major competitions, including two from the Olympic Games and two from the World Championships, cementing her place in the pantheon of heptaphlon greats.
