JUST 10 DAYS before turning 30, Nafi Thiam gave herself an early birthday present — something no other combined events athlete has ever received: a third Olympic gold medal.
But this was no gift — it was rightfully earned, as Thiam’s 36-point victory needed a PR in the concluding 800 to hold off longtime rival Katarina Johnson-Thompson, on her own quest for any medal in her fourth Olympics.
Those two had company among the favorites as 23-year-old Anna Hall entered her first Olympics with the world’s best score over the last six years at 6988 from last year, but Hall’s 2024 version was recovering and building back from knee surgery in January.
Some tagged this trio as the Big 3 — Nos. 3, 5 & 7 on the all-time world list with tallies of 7013, 6988 and 6981. They attracted the most attention, and here’s how their first-ever meeting as a trio unfolded.
100H: Annik Kälin PRed at 12.87, beginning a surprising medal threat. Hall ran 13.36, just off the 13.34 she ran at the Trials. KJT was solid at 13.40, much faster than her 13.66 in June’s Euro Championships, while Thiam’s 13.59 was better than her 13.74 at the Euros.
High Jump: American Chari Hawkins no-heighted, but the Big 3 began to make this look like the great competition it could be. Thiam and KJT — co-holders of the Olympic heptathlon best of 6-6 (1.98) from Rio — had matching clearances of 6-3½ (1.92). It was actually a disappointment for Thiam — the WR hept HJ holder at 6-7 (2.02) — but a boost for KJT in clearing her best since ’19. Hall jumped well at 6-2¼ (1.89), her second-best in a heptathlon.
Shot: The gold battle became a two-person affair after Thiam (51-0/15.54) and KJT (47-4½/14.44) hit personal bests while Hall was notably off hers with 46-3½ (14.11) versus her best of 48-6¾ (14.80). Surprisingly down and effectively losing any chance of a medal was Anouk Vetter at 49-5½ (15.07). A medalist in the last three WC/OGs, she has a best of 53-3¾ (16.25).
200: KJT was fastest at 23.44 to take the Day 1 lead, 48 points up on Thiam, who clocked a yearly best of 24.46. The future actually favored Thiam, just 49 points down on her PR 7013 pace, while KJT was 83 points down versus her 6981 best.
Long Jump: Thiam and KJT had ample opportunity to take control here — both have PRs well over 22-feet — but neither did with near-identical efforts of 21-½ (6.41) by Thiam and 21-0 (6.40) for KJT. The Brit reached her best on a final attempt while sitting on a shaky 19-9¾/6.04. Hall managed just 19-5½/5.93, far off her 21-8¼/6.61 pre-surgery PR and also down on the 20-3¾ (6.19) she had leapt at the Trials. Noor Vidts, a Belgian countrymate of Thiam’s, moved into 3rd for the first time with a solid 21-0 (6.40).
Javelin: The order of gold/silver medals garnered the most attention, but the fight for the bronze was also close. Thiam — sporting a leg bandage after incurring a cut in the long jump — took the overall lead for the first time since after the shot on Day 1, thanks to a field-leading 177-3 (54.04) that rates No. 4 on her personal all-time list. KJT answered with her second-best ever at 149-3 (45.490. Hall’s PR of 150-10 (45.99) moved her into 5th before her potent last event, which she would need because Kälin was solid with a yearly javelin best and Vidts PRed on three successive throws.
800: Every medal contender needed to run their best. KJT did such last year in winning gold in Budapest, keying off always-fast Hall for a 2-second PR. Here she pushed her best faster still to 2:04.90 behind Hall’s 2:04.39, but the Brit still wasn’t fast enough for a gold as Thiam responded with a PR 2:10.62 (after an overly aggressive 61.3 opening lap).
The Belgian wrapped a final total of 6880, 36 points ahead of KJT’s 6844, her second-highest ever. Hall settled for 5th, not able to make up enough ground on Vidts, who PRed at 6707 to join the podium after missing Tokyo’s by 19 points. Kälin also reached a personal best for 4th.
“I feel very special,” Thiam said about her third Olympic gold. “It’s the first thing everybody told me in the interviews. I didn’t cross that line and think I had made history. I thought all this pain, hard work, sacrifice, all those moments where I felt lonely. All of that paid off and I’m really grateful for that.”
HEPTATHLON RESULTS
FINAL (August 08–09)
1. Nafi Thiam (Bel) 6880 (WL)
(13.56, 6-3½/1.92, 51-0/15.54, 24.46 [4007-2], 21-½/6.41, 177-3/54.04, 2:10.62 [2873]);
2. Katarina Johnson-Thompson (GB) 6844
(13.40, 6-3½/1.92, 47-4½/14.44, 23.44 [4055-1], 21-0/6.40w, 149-3/45.49, 2:04.90 [2789]);
3. Noor Vidts (Bel) 6707 PR
(13.10, 6-0/1.83, 47-9¾/14.57, 23.86 [3951-4], 21-0/6.40, 147-8/45.00, 2:06.38 [2756]);
4. Annik Kälin (Swi) 6639 NR
(12.87, 5-8½/1.74, 46-0/14.02, 23.88 [3834-6], 21-7½/6.59, 157-11/48.14, 2:11.33 [2805]);
5. Anna Hall (US) 6615
(13.36, 6-2¼/1.89, 46-3½/14.11, 23.89 [3956-3], 19-5½/5.93, 150-10/45.99, 2:04.39 [2659]);
6. Sofie Dokter (Neth) 6452 PR
(13.57, 6-1¼/1.86, 45-10/13.97, 23.73 [3893-5], 20-6½/6.26, 139-4/42.46, 2:13.52 [2559]);
7. Martha Araujo (Col) 6386 NR
(13.15, 5-7¼/1.71, 46-5¼/14.15, 24.46 [3710-12], 21-8¼/6.61, 149-10/45.67, 2:17.55 [2676]);
8. Emma Oosterwegel (Neth) 6386
(13.41, 5-8½/1.74, 47-8½/14.54, 24.35 [3743-10], 18-7¾/5.68, 171-10/52.39, 2:08.67 [2643]);
9. Xénia Krizsán (Hun) 6386; 10. Jade O’Dowda (GB) 6280; 11. Taliyah Brooks (US) 6258
(13.00, 5-9¾/1.77, 44-6¾/13.58, 24.02 [3810-7], 20-2¼/6.15, 127-2/38.76, 2:13.95 [2448]);
12. Adrianna Sułek-Schubert (Pol) 6226; 13. Sveva Gerevini (Ita) 6220; 14. Kate O’Connor (Ire) 6167; 15. Saga Vanninen (Fin) 6163; 16. Auriana Lazraq-Khlass (Fra) 6110; 17. Carolin Schäfer (Ger) 6084; 18. Rita Nemes (Hun) 6060;
19. Camryn Newton-Smith (Aus) 5982; 20. Tori West (Aus) 5848;
21. Chari Hawkins (US) 5255
(13.16, nh, 44-9/13.64, 24.49 [2804-22], 19-4¼/5.90, 145-4/44.30, 2:15.76 [2451]);
… dnf—Anouk Vetter (Neth) 4654.
(best-ever mark-for-place: 5)