Kevin, what happened in this decathlon?Kevin Mayer: A little impatient when I got here (March 5). After three days, I felt so good that I did sprints and lengths. I had a bad fall in length and I felt a little discomfort, from there it was as usual, I said to myself: let’s go. It’s the adductor magnus I would say. The adductor magnus is too strong compared to its neighbor the hamstring, so the hamstring has difficulty holding on. It’s the ischium that tenses when I push, it’s nothing, it’s a contracture from fatigue due to (time) difference. I just went too fast afterwards, I felt so good, I really wanted to do a little training cycle before resting for the decathlon (…) I’m happy I did 100m, length, weight, it’s always preparation, more confidence for the decathlon next. If I want to be in agreement with myself, I have to stop wanting to be in a hurry to do the minimums and trust myself. I am my own coach, it’s rare to see an athlete who does that, I think I’m asking too much of myself, too quickly. If I give myself time everything will be fine. I have the tools to make sure it goes away after ten days.
What will be your next decathlon? We decide not to tell you (laughs). It’s March, there’s time. I did the minimums for the Games in 2012 three weeks before the Games. Maybe I won’t wait until then… We still have plenty of options, much closer, but nothing has been decided. This will be a last minute decision. From now on I really don’t want to rush the preparation. It’s not a difficult decathlon to do the minimums.
You don’t seem worried about the Games? I’m not worried about qualifying. It’s the decathlon, we’re all screwed up (injured) (…) I’ve become my own coach, my own physical trainer, I’m a bit of my own mental trainer too, I have to learn to be more lenient with myself, otherwise it will kill me.
Can you imagine yourself on the track at the Stade de France this summer? It’s been two years since I had the impression that my body was telling me: don’t do anything other than the Games in Paris. It pisses me off, I totally disagree with my body on this, I try to tell it that I have to do a decathlon to qualify but it doesn’t want to listen to me. Maybe my brain is doing everything to make me look my best that day. I can totally see myself in a packed Stade de France on D-Day, don’t worry. This is the smallest of my problems, the day I am on the track at the Stade de France, I can tell you that it will be a huge pleasure.
Did you miss the public in San Diego? No, external stimuli are not something that changes me. The brain sends very strong energy when we have mentally prepared for a long time to do something. And I know that I have had the Games in mind for two years, and that on the day of the Games, my legs will be on fire. I can’t ask my brain to do the same for minimums. I have confidence in myself to meet the minimum standards, above all I have confidence in myself to have fun on the day of the Games. That’s it, I’m just waiting to have fun at the Games.
