Mayer's title caps a successful final day for the Blues, who end the competition with six medals (one gold, two silver, three bronze), their best total since 2013. France remains in a modest 9th place, however. of the medal table against moderate European opposition, sixteen months before the Paris Olympics.

With his fist raised as he crossed the line, Mayer knew he had the gold in his pocket.

In a finally stocked Atakoy Arena, the burly man had to do violence to himself in 2 min 44 sec 20 over the five laps of the 1,000 m, he who apprehends the middle distance events, to win a new title in his rich career.

Fortunately, the decathlon world record holder had a 101-point lead before the race over the leaping Sander Skotheim, much faster than him.

A mattress that collapsed for a final victory with 30 more points (6,348 points against 6,318), the Norwegian having ignited the 1,000 m (2:37.82).

"The silver medal was not an option. I went for the gold, not to please myself in the last 400m, because Makenson (Gletty, his teammate) was shouting at me to restart. I was like +c is dead, Skotheim leaves, I'm going to do second +. But when you are already double European champion you no longer want to lose", commented a smiling "Kéké" in the mixed zone.

Grumpy on Saturday after not having "slept all night", frightened on Sunday noon by his small lead, Mayer, in tears on the podium, once again multiplied the emotions in two days of trials.

Frenchman Kevin Mayer, crowned European indoor heptathlon champion, on March 5, 2023 in Istanbul © YASIN AKGUL / AFP

But as often, he found the door that led to the podium, he who is already double world champion and double Olympic vice-champion in the decathlon.

"A Little Brick"

At 31, he advances as the only safe bet of the France team for the Paris Olympics in 2024.

"This medal is experience for the biggest deadline of my life, which I am building little by little, he said about it. I have it in a little corner of my head, it is still a long way off but each time I put a small brick in the building."

Benjamin Robert leads the train before missing the coronation over 800m at the photo finish at the Istanbul Europe, March 5, 2023 © YASIN AKGUL / AFP

In the wake of their leader, the Blues finally collected the medals on Sunday, after the bronze brought back by Azeddine Habz over 1,500m on Friday.

Benjamin Robert, leading the 800m attack on the home straight, was beaten at the photo finish (3 thousandths of a second) by the Spaniard Adrian Ben, the thickness of a lahmacun (Turkish pizza) , a great culinary classic of Istanbul.

"It's a weird feeling, I'm happy, but not happy at the same time because I don't have a little gold. But I'm happy with the journey I've made, I see that there's a clear improvement compared to last summer (...) I want to send a message to the French federation, they can count on me for the World Championships this summer and especially the Olympic Games next year “, indicated the Toulousain.

He was avenged by the hurdler Just Kwaou-Mathey who, after starting the race upside down, perfectly "broken" on the line to win bronze in the men's 60m hurdles for 5 thousandths and perpetuate the tradition of the French team, on the podium of the event for the eighth consecutive time since 2009.

French hurdler Just Kwaou-Mathey celebrates his bronze medal at the European Indoor Championships on March 5, 2023 in Istanbul © OZAN KOSE / AFP

Agnès Raharolahy won her first individual medal in the 800m (bronze), while the 4x400m relay (Gilles Biron, Téo Andant, Victor Coroller and Muhammad Abdallah Kounta) perfectly managed a race that ended in silver.

© 2023 AFP