Multi-events: Nafissatou Thiam (BEL) targets heptathlon clean sweep
The athlete hopes to continue her title-winning success in the Berlin 2018 European Championships.
Getty Images
Belgium's World and Olympic Champion Nafissatou Thiam is aiming to complete a clean sweep of major heptathlon titles when she goes for gold at the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships.
Thiam's victory at the 2017 World Championships in London followed her breakthrough triumph at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
At the Gotzis Hypo-Meeting last year, she became only the third athlete ever to score more than 7000 points and sits behind Carolina Kluft (SWE) and world record holder Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA) on the all-time list.
Among her rivals will be Germany's Carolin Schafer, defending European Champion Anouk Vetter of the Netherlands, and Great Britain's World Indoor and Commonwealth Games Champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson, who could threaten the Belgian if she gets close to her personal best of 6691.
In the decathlon, Kevin Mayer will be looking for his fourth major title in as many championships. After winning decathlon silver at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, the Frenchman has taken World and European Indoor heptathlon titles as well as the World Outdoor Decathlon crown in London last summer.
The 26-year-old hasn't contested a decathlon so far this season but he has set lifetime bests in five individual events and could challenge the long-standing championship record of 8811 points set by Britain’s DaleyThompson.
Estonia's World Indoor bronze medallist Maicel Uibo is the highest-scoring European decathlete this year with 8514 from Gotzis.
Thomas Van Der Plaetsen of Belgium is back to defend the title he won in Amsterdam, while there will be strong challenges from German pair Arthur Abele and world bronze medallist Kai Kazimirek.
