Kevin Mayer on the verge of tears by (almost) validating his presence this summer

JO – The hardest part is done! This Tuesday, June 11, during the European Athletics Championships in Rome, Kevin Mayer narrowly remained, but probably for good, in the race to qualify for the decathlon of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The double world champion (2017 and 2022) and double Olympic silver medalist (2016 and 2021) however suffered during the pole vault event, the eighth of this event which has ten. While he still has not achieved the Olympic minimums, Kevin Mayer found himself on the verge of zero points after two failures on his first bar, placed at 5 meters. A third and the Olympic minimums would have gone away. But the decathlete stayed in the competition on his last chance, before convincingly climbing to 5.30m.

The jump that propelled him to the Games

As you can see and hear in the clip below, Kevin Mayer was very moved to have managed to cross this barrier and see his chances of securing a bib at the Olympics at the beginning of August getting closer. And for good reason: he now only has the javelin throw and the 1500 meters left to compete, two events in which he should, in all likelihood, score points whatever happens.

“ This successful jump guarantees me the Games,” he also confirmed to our colleagues at France Télévisions. “ It is a relief. Not being able to leave my house without being asked if I’m qualified is a pressure I can’t handle.” he added, his face red with effort and emotion. And to promise his supporters: “We’re going to have fun in Paris!” ».

“I have never had so many emotions. It’s been a year since the pressure of “qualifying” for the Olympics has been three times greater than that of a medal at the Games… Now, I know that if I do a little “jav” (javelin) and a little 1,500 m, I am qualified: no longer having this weight on my shoulders, it’s pfff…”he continued.

In fact, his pole vault performance, the best in the field, puts him comfortably back on track for the Olympic minimums, set at 8,460 points, his number 1 objective in the European competition, much more than the medal. After eight of the ten events in the Roman decathlon, Kevin Mayer totals 7,011 points and is in provisional fifth place.

Frequently bothered by injuries, the 32-year-old Frenchman has not completed ten decathlon events since July 2022 in Eugene (United States), when he won his second world title. Kevin Mayer’s fate for the Games will be definitively decided at 10:25 p.m. this Tuesday evening, at the end of the 1,500m. With, possibly, a podium for the other French decathlete of the moment, Makenson Gletty, who has had a string of personal bests since the start of the event, this Monday, June 10.

Also see on HuffPost :