Thiam shines in Birmingham with long jump record, beating rival Katarina Johnson-Thompson
The Belgian athlete Nafi Thiam has broken the Belgian long jump record on two occasions at the Diamond League meeting in Birmingham.
Thiam first jumped 6 metres and 74 centimetres far, breaking her previous mark (in Talence, France, in June) with 7 centimetres. However, at her third attempt she managed 6m86, shattering the previous record with 19 centimetres.
It was Thiam's first outing in England since London 2017, and her first competition since the Talence heptathlon in June, which she won despite sustaining a new elbow injury. Organisers had made it a duel between Thiam and her heptathlon challenger Katarina Johnson-Thompson, who came just short of winning, with a jump of 6m85 at her final attempt.
The athletes are gearing up for the World Championships in Doha, early October.
