Do you have to be a masochist to practice decathlon? And go on, in two days, ten athletics events like others descend from the cafes to the counter: three traumatic jumps competitions for the joints, throws, sprint races and an exhausting middle-distance race at the end. All this without the fatigue and pain that fits between the ligaments and clogs the muscles.
And when in the case of the world record holder Kevin Mayer, we add to this torture a perfectionism bordering on mania, we are tempted to answer yes to the original question. Anyway, masochistic or not, Mayer presents himself at the Tokyo Olympics once again as the big favorite of the decathlon, Wednesday August 4 and Thursday August 5, less than two years after having given up – overcome by pain – to that of the Doha Worlds.
Kevin Mayer is approaching his thirties, a milestone for an athlete and a period conducive to introspection. From his sunny Hérault garden, he confided in World a few months before the Games: “My personal problem with the decathlon is the mountains that I set myself to cross. I’m not here to have fun, I’m here to explode. “
When you are not allowed to make mistakes – a decathlete usually only achieves one decathlon per year – and you are obsessed with surpassing yourself, the pressure never falls. “When you set world records in your head, every moment is even more painful. You did 17m once in weight, you don’t know if you will be able to do it again but you need it to make your world record, explains the Olympic vice-champion, Yesterday in training, I started badly, I got angry and I hit a block. I do not regret being like this, it is this perfectionism that brings me to the highest. ”
“A form of duty”
This peak is at 9,126 points, ie the best performance of all time, which he has held since 2018. Behind the records, the question of pleasure in high-level sport is always particular. It is also for the decathlete: “ I set goals that are so difficult that sometimes I find it hard to take the pressure. When I started, I didn’t have those goals, and that’s where I had the most fun. ”
American Andre Agassi was known to hate tennis. In other athletes, the relationship is more ambiguous, bordering on adoration and hate depending on the moment. “We are talking about pain and suffering there, I find it pleasant to go after myself. The point where it gets complicated is when you add a lot of performance, develops Mayer. We are not sure to support the pain because it becomes so important with the performances that we do. It’s super tiring, but it’s super good. I have never felt that in another sport and I have practiced a dozen. ”
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