Nafi Thiam returned to competition on Wednesday night at the Mémorial Van Damme, using the home meeting as a final tune-up before the Decastar heptathlon in Talence on 18 and 19 September.
After injury and a year in which she has taken part in very few competitions, the Belgian wanted to regain some rhythm in an event she enjoys. The Liège athlete finished last in the high jump competition, clearing two bars, both on her second attempts. She got over 1.80m and 1.84m before failing at 1.88m.
The result was almost incidental for Thiam, whose main aim was to get back into competition ahead of Talence. Another Belgian in the event, Merel Maes, finished second from bottom after clearing 1.80m at the first attempt. Her competition then followed the same pattern as Thiam’s.
“Accept every season, whether it is good or not”
Speaking to Eline Fauconnier after the evening’s action, Thiam said: “I had a good time in this competition. It is true that it is not an extraordinary performance but it is a difficult season. I was not expecting anything amazing. I would like to say that I am disappointed but it is impossible because it is such a great meeting, the crowd is extraordinary, I actually had fun. I tried to make the most of this experience. There are seasons like this, that is sport. We cannot take only the extraordinary seasons, we have to take them all and treat them with the same respect and the same motivation. I keep working. I had a very long training camp in August, it is good to dip back into competition before the heptathlon in two weeks. And the aim will be to do a little better in Talence.”
Thiam said she expects the heptathlon to give her a positive feeling: “I think it will do me good to complete a heptathlon, it would be the first in two years. To end the season in good health, physically well and then psychologically being able to tell myself that I have done a heptathlon and build on that for next season.”