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Thiam shines bright to win heptathlon gold

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Belgium’s Nafissatou Thiam defied even her own expectations to win a sensational Olympic heptathlon gold in Rio on Saturday night.

At 21, Thiam had never been to an Olympic Games before. She is a university student who is among a fresh new breed of young stars in the sport and now she has a glorious title to her name.

The Belgian broke five personal bests on her to way to beating 2012 gold medallist Jessica Ennis-Hill to become only the fourth track and field athlete from her country to win an Olympic gold medal.

'I cannot believe it,' said Thiam. 'I did not come for a medal. Maybe top eight - but not the gold.'

But gold it is after an amazing competition which went down to the wire and the final few seconds, with Thiam doing just enough in the last event, the 800m, to triumph as she won with a national record of 6810, beating Ennis-Hill by just 35 points with Canada's Brianne Theisen-Eaton in third with 6653.

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Thiam’s success means she joins 5000m runner Gaston Reiff (1948), 3000m steeplechaser Gaston Roelants (1964) and high jumper Tia Hellebaut (2008) as Belgium’s Olympic athletics gold medalists.

It was a strong two days for Europe as Latvia's Laura Ikauniece-Admidina (6617) finished in fourth, Germany's Carolin Schafer (6540) was fifth and Britain's Katarina Johnson-Thompson (6523) was sixth.

And while Thiam was left in disbelief, it should probably come as no surprise because of the gradual inroads she has been making.

Over the past three years, she has won the 2013 European junior heptathlon title, took bronze at the 2014 European Athletics Championships and then in 2015 finished second in the pentathlon at the European Athletics Indoor Championships before being runner-up in the heptathlon at the European U23 Championships.

She was always a major threat and she moved into the lead on Saturday after a tremendous long jump in the morning session of a competition which had resumed with her in second on 3985, trailing defending champion Ennis-Hill by 72.

The signs had been there from that first day where Thiam started with a personal best in the 100m hurdles (13.56) and then shared a world heptathlon high jump record of 1.98m with Johnson-Thompson.

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And what a way to begin the second day with another pb, in the final of her three jumps, as Thiam leaped to 6.58m for the best from both groups.

She had opened with a foul and then jumped 6.18m in response to Ennis-Hill's 6.34m before her 6.58m as gradually the tension was building to the javelin - which was going to be such a massive event.

With her first throw, Thiam recorded yet another personal best, hitting a distance of 53.15m which Ennis-Hill was never going to match. Her furthest was 46.06m from round two of a discipline won by Ikauniece-Admidina with a pb of her own, 55.93m.

And so it was down to the 800m.

Thiam led by 142 points with 5939 from Ennis-Hill, a gap which meant the Briton had to beat her by more than 10 seconds. It was some ask, even with a personal best close to that.

Ennis-Hill went for it from the front, running away to triumph in 2:09.07 and then was left waiting as Thiam battled her way to the line, in seventh in the race, but 7:47 seconds behind, enough to take gold.

'It's crazy,' said Thiam, speaking to Reuters. 'In the 800m, I was just trying not to let Jess go. I guess my life is going to change now.'

As it might for 30-year-old Ennis-Hill, too, who is going to contemplate her future in the multi-events.

'Its congratulations not commiserations. I am pretty emotional but these are happy tears and I am really proud to be back on the podium,' said Ennis-Hill. 'I have just got to make a decision as to whether this is my last heptathlon or not.'




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