Nafissatou Thiam took the early initiative in the women’s heptathlon to lead after the first two events on the opening session of the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships.
The Belgian phenomenon is attempting to complete her first heptathlon since winning gold at the Munich 2022 European Athletics Championships. But her Midas touch remains.
Twice champion in the Olympic, World and European arena, she showed she has lost none of her appetite for gold in the sun baked Stadio Olimpio.
High jump domination
She opened modestly enough, placing seventh in heat 2 of the 100m hurdles in 13.74 (-0.1m/s). But then totally dominated the high jump, clearing every bar to 1.95m.
Then after a single failure at 1.98m, she decided to preserve energy for the five events to come, safe in the knowledge she already had over a 100 point cushion on her rivals with 2186 points safely banked.
Belgium teammate Noor Vidts, fourth in Munich, but twice world indoor pentathlon gold medallist, also opened her campaign in fine style.
She logged a personal best of 13.16 in the 100m hurdles and a very solid 1.80m in the high jump to sit in second place with 2078 points.
Personal bests for Italian hope
Italy’s Sveva Gerevini opened the host nation’s Roma 2024 campaign in great style, setting personal bests in both the 100m hurdles and high jump.
First up she clocked 13.35 (-0.1m/s) over the barriers before clearing a lifetime best of 1.80m in the high jump to sit in bronze medal position with 2050 points. Fourth in the pentathlon in the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow in March, she is keyed up for a medal bid in front of her home crowd.
Thiam’s biggest rival for gold is current world champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson, who had a solid, if unspectacular morning.
In her first heptathlon since winning the gold medal at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, the British athlete clocked 13.66 (+0.7m/s) in the 100m hurdles and cleared 1.80m in the high jump to sit fourth with 2043 points.
Chris Broadbent for European Athletics