Kevin Mayer
Kevin Mayer, the iron man.
Muscle, head, heart. He has won World Championships twice, has a degree in physical measurements, and no one so far has been able to break his world record in the decathlon. Kevin Mayer (Argenteuil, Feb. 10, 1992) is among the world’s most celebrated French athletes, certainly the most complete, capable of expressing himself at the highest level in each of the ten specialties and perfectly embodying the role of the ‘iron man.’
In Tournon-sur-Rhone, where he got his start in athletics, they named the athletics stadium after him in 2019 just in appreciation. It was Italy that gave Kevin Mayer his first international joy, gold at the under-18 World Championships in Bressanone in the octathlon, a youth version of multiple trials. From there he managed to string one success after another until he started competing with the big boys, already at the Olympics when he was only 20 years old, 15th in London 2012.
Two silver medals at the Games, in Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo, shine in his trophy case, and the Olympics at home in Paris is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to crown a fantastic career. Of world golds he has already scored three: in London 2017, indoors in Birmingham 2018 (in the heptathlon) and again outdoors in Oregon in 2022. Never too lucky, however, at the European Championships: in Berlin out by three nulls in the long run, in Munich k.o. by injury in the first of ten races. However valuable the silver in Zurich and the three golds and one silver indoors.
The day of days: Sept. 16, 2018: on the Sunday when athletics had already crinkled its eyes at Eliud Kipchoge’s world record in the Berlin Marathon, the other lightning bolt comes from Talence, France. It is the French superman who completes an unprecedented two days for the decathlon: 9126 points, 81 more than such a legend of multiple trials as the American Ashton Eaton.
Four personal bests, three races over 1,000 points, a consistency of performance never seen before, and two photocopy days in terms of scoring (4563 points on Saturday, as many on Sunday). It is a wonderful ride: 10.55 (+0.3) in the 100, 7.80 (+1.2) in the long, 16.00 in the weight, 2.05 in the high, 48.42 in the 400. And then, the second day, 13.75 (-1.1) in the 110 hurdles, 50.54 in the discus, 5.45 in the pole vault, 71.90 in the javelin and 4:36.11 in the 1500.
Spreading the culture of multiple trials and the importance of physical activity in general is a mission for Kevin Mayer. This is why the Mayer Experience traveling event (last held last October in Brussels) was created to promote the various specialties of running, jumping and throwing. And it is also the goal of the book “Bougez plus, vivez mieux” (Move more, live better) co-written with French physician Michel Cymes.
Mayer is a great lover of astronomy, sparked by watching Christopher Nolan’s masterpiece Interstellar: he has a telescope at home and reads specialized books.
He loves basketball: he even recently took on former Nba champion Tony Parker in a 3 vs. 3 tournament organized by a French streamer with a large following on Twitch.
Kevin Mayer, the iron man.
Muscle, head, heart. He has won World Championships twice, has a degree in physical measurements, and no one so far has been able to break his world record in the decathlon. Kevin Mayer (Argenteuil, Feb. 10, 1992) is among the world’s most celebrated French athletes, certainly the most complete, capable of expressing himself at the highest level in each of the ten specialties and perfectly embodying the role of the ‘iron man.’
In Tournon-sur-Rhone, where he got his start in athletics, they named the athletics stadium after him in 2019 just in appreciation. It was Italy that gave Kevin Mayer his first international joy, gold at the under-18 World Championships in Bressanone in the octathlon, a youth version of multiple trials. From there he managed to string one success after another until he started competing with the big boys, already at the Olympics when he was only 20 years old, 15th in London 2012.
Two silver medals at the Games, in Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo, shine in his trophy case, and the Olympics at home in Paris is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to crown a fantastic career. Of world golds he has already scored three: in London 2017, indoors in Birmingham 2018 (in the heptathlon) and again outdoors in Oregon in 2022. Never too lucky, however, at the European Championships: in Berlin out by three nulls in the long run, in Munich k.o. by injury in the first of ten races. However valuable the silver in Zurich and the three golds and one silver indoors.
The day of days: Sept. 16, 2018: on the Sunday when athletics had already crinkled its eyes at Eliud Kipchoge’s world record in the Berlin Marathon, the other lightning bolt comes from Talence, France. It is the French superman who completes an unprecedented two days for the decathlon: 9126 points, 81 more than such a legend of multiple trials as the American Ashton Eaton.
Four personal bests, three races over 1,000 points, a consistency of performance never seen before, and two photocopy days in terms of scoring (4563 points on Saturday, as many on Sunday). It is a wonderful ride: 10.55 (+0.3) in the 100, 7.80 (+1.2) in the long, 16.00 in the weight, 2.05 in the high, 48.42 in the 400. And then, the second day, 13.75 (-1.1) in the 110 hurdles, 50.54 in the discus, 5.45 in the pole vault, 71.90 in the javelin and 4:36.11 in the 1500.
Spreading the culture of multiple trials and the importance of physical activity in general is a mission for Kevin Mayer. This is why the Mayer Experience traveling event (last held last October in Brussels) was created to promote the various specialties of running, jumping and throwing. And it is also the goal of the book “Bougez plus, vivez mieux” (Move more, live better) co-written with French physician Michel Cymes.
Mayer is a great lover of astronomy, sparked by watching Christopher Nolan’s masterpiece Interstellar: he has a telescope at home and reads specialized books.
He loves basketball: he even recently took on former Nba champion Tony Parker in a 3 vs 3 tournament organized by a French streamer with a large following on Twitch.