Sunday July 24.

After ten days of the Worlds in Eugene, in the American northwest, Mayer obtained a second world title at the age of 30, five years after the first.

Monday August 15.

Precisely 22 days later, the double Olympic vice-champion (2016 and 2021) re-attacks his ten works in Bavaria, in search of European gold this time.

How to solve the equation of two decathlons in three weeks?

Mayer, who says he is "a bit in trouble", describes himself as "a rookie" in the face of such an experience.

"In my mind, it's almost impossible, but that's why it will be so beautiful if I did it," sums up the decathlete.

The day after his second world title, he was "at the end of his rope".

“The day after, it was already much better, so I said to myself: + Go ahead. Why not? +, he rewinds about his decision to attempt the double.

But the euphoria of being world champion hides a lot of things.

It was a big moment for me, which left me on my cloud for over a week.

As soon as it went down, I still felt that my body had taken a toll."

"On edge"

“The worst is mentally, explains the Montpellier resident. Emotionally, I manage to transcend myself to go get very, very far physically. I live the thing to the fullest and I am more on edge (compared to its competitors ), this is perhaps what allows me to perform when necessary and succeed in being world champion."

"But it's a double-edged sword: in terms of recovery, I know that I'm worse than the other decathletes for longer. The others manage to follow up, I have more trouble," he continues.

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How does he feel then physically, he who was still bothered by his Achilles tendons shortly before the Worlds in Eugene?

"The tendons are fine, and it's a nice win," but a shoulder creaks from "a little technical error" on the last javelin throw in Oregon, Mayer replies.

"I did rehabilitation, I think I will be able to throw without hurting but that I will only be entitled to one try", he considers.

"Afterwards, I feel that there are tensions of fatigue, it's general, in the hamstrings, in the back ..., still lists the double world champion. It's true that starting a decathlon like that. .."

“We must not bury Kevin Mayer, believes Romain Barras, the 2010 European decathlon champion who has become director of high performance for the French Athletics Federation (FFA). We have rarely seen him say that all sighted people are green. It's Kevin: he's getting stressed, he's getting more pressure, he needs that to perform."

Point margin

"He is used to doing very few meetings a year, a decathlon. It's a nice challenge. He also knows that he has a margin of points (over the competition), that allows him to do two to three counter-performances", adds the former athlete.

One thing is certain: Mayer will "not take the risk" of mortgaging the coming seasons, with the Worlds-2023 in Budapest and, above all, the Olympics-2024 in Paris in sight.

"If I have no pain (...), I will do the decathlon until the end. But if there is any pain and a risk that it could cost me in the future, it will not be worth the Suddenly, he decides. It's only a bonus, it must not turn into a penalty for the future."

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"I just have to manage to be lucid, between my desire to finish this decathlon and write a new page in history, and not have eyes bigger than my stomach," adds Mayer.

The page of Munich turned will come the time of the holidays which he "thinks about every thirty minutes" already.

"Three to four months" between Greece, New Zealand, Hawaii and New Caledonia.

In the meantime, Mayer, who was to test his form during a start session on Sunday, is expected in the starting blocks of the 100m on Monday shortly after 10 a.m.

© 2022 AFP