The 21-year-old geography undergraduate, who has Senegalese ties, enjoyed early-career attention when breaking Carolina Kluft’s indoor world junior record in the pentathlon and claiming the gold medal at the European Athletics Junior Championships in 2013. She placed 14th in the heptathlon at the World Championships in Moscow and concluded the 2013 outdoor season ranked as the #1 junior in the world.

Since then Thiam made a rapid rise from a promising junior to one of the world’s best. 2014 started with a huge improvement of the Belgian national record scoring 6.508 points at the Hypomeeting in Götzis. Later that year, Thiam stunningly grabbed bronze at the European Championships in Zürich. Without hesitation, she then continued her medal haul in 2015, winning the silver medal at the European indoor championships in Prague and placing second in the high jump at the European U23 championships.

Audi provides Nafi with a Belgian-made A1 Sportback and becomes the official partner of the Olympic hopeful on her road to the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro later this year.

Nafi Thiam said: “I am delighted. It’s an honour that Audi choose to support me on my way to Rio and beyond. Thanks to my personalised Audi A1 I am navigating comfortably and in style to my various daily activities.”

Audi embraces the youngster. Didier Willems, Audi Brand Director: “Audi stands for sportiness and craftsmanship at the highest level. Being able to successfully balance university studies and performing at the highest level proves Nafi’s sense of responsibility and dedication. Values that perfectly match those of our brand.”

Currently, Nafi is in full preparation for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil where she is one of Belgium’s ‘athletes to watch’. She is currently balancing a world class athletics career with University studies in Geography.