Decathlon world record holder, Kevin Mayer, is yet to return to form. His performance in the 60m race during the French Indoor Championships in Mirapas (Bouches-du-Rhône) ended prematurely due to a hamstring issue. Mayer had not competed since August 2023.
Mayer, a double world champion and two-time Olympic silver medalist, was participating in his first competition since his retirement from the World Championships in Budapest, due to an Achilles tendon injury. He had planned to compete in four out of the seven heptathlon events this weekend.
However, Mayer’s 60m sprint ended after about forty meters due to a strain in his hamstring. He explained that he had been training hard and had suffered a minor sprain earlier in the week. Despite the setback, he saw the experience as beneficial training.
Mayer expressed that while it was just a stiffness, the recurring injuries to his hamstring make it challenging for him to perform at his best. Nevertheless, he remained positive, viewing his attempts as a good training session.
He was scheduled to participate in the weight competition later in the morning and the pole vault event on Sunday, but his participation in the 60m hurdles as initially planned is doubtful.
The 32-year-old has not completed a decathlon since earning his world title in July 2022 and has not yet achieved the minimum qualifications for the Paris Olympic Games. Though he was set to compete in a decathlon in Australia in December, he chose to delay it until the end of March in San Diego, USA.
