Paris 2024 Olympics: “I don't care if it blows up, I'm okay with that”, Kevin Mayer ready to do anything to experience the Games

Kevin Mayer a tout fait pour être présent aux JO mais ça risque de ne pas suffire. MICHAEL ESDOURRUBAILH

Kevin Mayer est sorti du silence pour annoncer l’étendue des dégâts et d’une blessure qui, selon toute vraisemblance, devrait le priver, vendredi, du décathlon des Jeux Olympiques. À moins d’un miracle…

Barring a miracle – they are rare – Kevin Mayer will not achieve his dream. The Montpellier native, injured on July 7 during a 110m hurdles, suffers from an injury that usually requires surgery. He admitted this on Tuesday, during the press briefing organized ahead of the Olympic Games decathlon scheduled for Friday and Saturday. He will do a test on Thursday at the Stade de France. And if he cannot sprint over 30m, the world record holder for the “deca” will withdraw. On the verge of tears in front of journalists, Mayer also said he was doing his best but had « given up on his hopes ». In short, it smells bad.
How are you ?
As you know, since Paris (July 7), my world has changed. A big problem happened to me. I am here in front of you and I simply accept the fact that everything is not going well.

What do you do every day to make it better ?

At first, everyone thought it was a torn muscle. In fact, it was the tendon (ischios) that tore 95%. I am on the verge of having a tendon missing. We are playing less on healing due to the lack of time. We're trying to give the muscle a new function so that it puts less load on that tendon. I want to give it a try no matter what. Because I'll have regrets all my life if I don't do it. Every day, there's unexpected progress.

What's the problem for you??

The race cycle. In the coming days, we will have to know if I am capable of sprinting 30m. This will be the condition for me to be at the Stade de France on Friday.

How are you dealing with this moment psychologically ?

I hit rock bottom three weeks ago. When I felt the tendon burst, the announcement of an operation and six months without athletics. I didn't want to believe it. Since then, even if from a nervous point of view, I am at the end of my rope, I have the impression of having my destiny in my hands. Even though I know that this destiny is not the one I imagined at the beginning. I have mourned my hopes before this 110m hurdles.

How far are you willing to go to be at the start ?

I've watched a lot of samurai stuff, movies, quotes. I don't care if it blows up. I agree with that. I don't want to put on a show at the Stade de France. So there's this idea of ​​testing.

With maximum commitment ?

Yes, that's the logic. If I can't do 30 meters at full speed without feeling anything, it's certain that over 100m it won't work. So we wait until the last minute. And if we're going to do this test, we might as well do it at the Stade de France.

Your brother Thomas says that you're probably experiencing the worst moment of your career…

(Tears in my eyes) After the injury, I had my week to cry. I had to mourn all those things. Today, I'm better. I feel like everyone is sadder for me. I accepted but I died, I did so much to try to be there that I'm exploded.

What you do today is beyond you in a way?

The closer the decathlon is, the more I feel like I'm on vacation. Even if it passes, the events (of the decathlon), it seems nothing to me compared to what I have done. I have had a lot of success in my career. I would not give back for anything in the world all that I have achieved to be successful today. I often told myself that I had “pussy”. Today, I have no “pussy”
I live through other athletes and I realize how lucky they are because I have lived those moments. It's part of the sport. Look at the little girl who fell on the mountain bike (Loana Lecomte). We vibrate with the medalists but we don't realize all the careers broken at these Olympics at home. The characteristic of the champion is to not always succeed and to raise one's head.