Bourg-lès-Valence (France) (AFP)

"He really knew how to bounce back": joy and relief dominated Thursday among relatives and friends of Kevin Mayer gathered in the Drôme to see by screen interposed the decathlete winning Olympic silver.

In Bourg-lès-Valence, a small town adjoining the Drôme prefecture where part of his family lives, some fifty friends, relatives and a few anonymous gathered to encourage their champion in Tokyo and see him hold his rank in doing as well as in Rio despite a back injury.

"She has good taste, she has a taste for happiness, she has a taste for friends, she has a taste for benevolence, for camaraderie, for all the people who have come to support her, she has a great taste", s exclaims Carole Mayer, about her son's second Olympic silver medal.

From two o'clock in the morning, the early adopters of his supporters gathered in a room made available by one of his sponsors to see the 29-year-old champion string together the 110m hurdles, discus throw and jumping events. the perch.

It was not until noon in France to glimpse the virtual certainty of a medal with a cannon javelin throw, where Mayer broke his personal best (73.09 m) and took second place in the competition to never leave it. .

"The decathlon should start again now!", Then wished out loud his brother Thomas, after this relaunch, while the athlete's father, André, recognized that his son "always surprises when you think about it. less".

"He gave us a + Kéké +", he said to sum up this winning return, agreeing that "his goal was the gold medal but after the first average day, he made a raison".

Kevin Mayer silver medal in the decathlon at the Tokyo Olympics, August 5, 2021 Andrej ISAKOVIC AFP

Delphine Jarriel, the windsurfer companion of the decathlete, also confessed "moved, very moved".

"He deserves it, he has proven to everyone what he is capable of, he has a mind of steel," said the young woman.

The youngest of the Mayer brothers, Thibault, already sees the next step to finally conquer Olympic gold.

"As much as it is 2024 in Paris, it will be even more beautiful!", Already aspires the young man for his brother.

© 2021 AFP