Nafi Thiam Withdraws From World Championships Amidst Bitter Dispute with Belgian Athletics Federation
Budapest, Hungary – In a stunning turn of events, Nafi Thiam, the three-time Olympic champion and dominant force in heptathlon, has withdrawn from the World Athletics Championships in Budapest. While officially attributed to a lack of physical fitness following a disappointing long jump performance of 5.99 meters – placing her 11th out of 22 competitors – her coach, Michael van der Plaetsen, paints a far more troubling picture: a conflict with the Belgian athletics association that he believes is almost entirely to blame.
Thiam, who finished eighth overall before her withdrawal, has consistently achieved jumps of 6.86 meters or better throughout her illustrious career. The official description of insufficient fitness, according to van der Plaetsen, accounts for only “one percent” of the issue, with the remaining 99% stemming from a weeks-long dispute with the Belgian federation.
The core of the conflict revolves around marketing rights and a newly imposed code of conduct regarding sponsorships. According to reports in Belgian newspaper Le Soir,the code demanded athletes sign away image rights to the association and restrict social media activity to only promote approved commercial partners. This presented a direct challenge to thiam, who has existing sponsorship commitments.
“Everything is going wrong,” van der Plaetsen stated bluntly. Thiam refused to sign the restrictive agreement, leading to her exclusion from the national team’s training camp and the denial of accreditation for her physiotherapist. “In the cabins we where the only ones without our own physio. Trainers from other nations came to me and apologized for the conditions in Belgium,” he added, highlighting the perceived unfair treatment.
the coach didn’t mince words in his criticism of the federation, stating, “I am ashamed to be Belgians.”
This withdrawal marks a meaningful blow to the championships and raises serious questions about the governance and athlete support within Belgian athletics. The situation underscores the growing tension between athletes’ individual rights and the increasing commercialization of sports, and will undoubtedly spark further debate about the balance of power within national sporting bodies.
Keywords: Nafi Thiam, World Athletics Championships, Heptathlon, Belgian Athletics federation, Sports Dispute, Sponsorship, Athlete Rights, Budapest 2023, Michael van der Plaetsen, Olympic Champion, Withdrawal, Controversy.
