Cock-a-doodle Doo ! Kevin Mayer returned to world gold in the decathlon, five years after his first coronation, in Eugene (Oregon) on Sunday July 24, 2022. Also a double Olympic silver medalist (2016 and 2021), the handsome blond totaled 8,816 points in the end of ten events to win ahead of Canadian Pierce Lepage (8701) and American Zachery Ziemek (8676). For this crazy victory, the champion was able to count on the encouragement of his companion, Delphine Jariel.
The discreet couple have been dating since 2017 and only very rarely appear together. But for such an event, Delphine had of course made the trip to support her man. On her Instagram account, the young woman shared several photos from the stands. After Kevin’s coronation, she notably immortalized him on the podium. Smiling, she then took a picture with Alexandre Bonacorsi, the coach of the decathlon world champion.
At thirty – he celebrated them in February – Kevin Mayer joins the ultra select club of French athletes who are double individual world championsalongside the legend Marie-José Pérec, crowned in the 400m in 1991 and in 1995, and Eunice Barber, she won the heptathlon in 1999 and the long jump in 2003. Like a symbol, One more time Daft Punk resounded in the mythical Hayward Field when the double Olympic silver medalist (2016 and 2021) filled the last hundred meters of the 1,500m which separated him from a second world title, five years after the first conquered in London in 2017.
At the end of his ten works, he won with a total of 8,816 points ahead of the Canadian Pierce Lepage (8701) and the American Zachery Ziemek (8676). An achievement he welcomed with teary eyes and quivering lips when the Marseillaise was played in his honour. It’s that Mayer remembered several painful and/or unfortunate decathlons, from zero to length at the 2018 European Championships in Berlin to the Tokyo Games crossed back blocked last summer, passing by his abandonment at the 2019 Worlds in Doha, tendon (the left then) already recalcitrant. Not to mention that at the start of the year, the Montpellier resident was bothered for long months by his right Achilles tendon “on fire” – which made him give up the Indoor Worlds in Belgrade in early March – and only resumed racing two months ago.
This return to the highest step of the world podium comes as Mayer decided to take control of his training by separating in the spring from his physical trainer Jérôme Simian. On a daily basis, he is no longer accompanied except by Alexandre Bonacorsi, his childhood friendoriginally responsible for compiling its performance data (sessions, series, intensity of effort, etc.) but which “has gained experience for two years“.”I like this way of working. I loved it during confinement, when I was able to have access to the stadium: that’s where I brought out the best of myself, where I had my best sessions.“, traced Mayer to AFP in mid-June.