French decathlete Kevin Mayer found his stride as a hyperactive child by lacing up his athletic shoes. Guided by his parents, Carole and André, both sports educators, he explored various codes such as rugby, handball, tennis, and skiing before shifting his focus to athletics.
In 2009, at 17, the budding French star secured the octathlon gold medal at the World Youth Championships in Bressanone. The following year, he claimed the gold in the decathlon at the 2010 World Junior Championships in Moncton, Canada before adding another global title in 2011, claiming gold at the Junior World Decathlon Championship in Tallinn.
Kevin Mayer: Olympics and World Championship triumphs
The French decathlete then qualified for the London 2012 Olympic Games, finishing in 15th place at just 20. At the Rio 2016 Olympics, Mayer won silver, second only to the two-time gold medalist Ashton Eaton, who held the world record at the time. His stellar achievement earned him the Knight of the National Order of Merit honour for his profound impact on French athletics.
In 2017, Mayer added another gold medal to his collection, this time in the men's heptathlon at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Belgrade. After this victory, Mayer solidified his legacy by winning the decathlon world title in London in 2017, earning France its first senior global crown in the event.
The next year, he became the indoor heptathlon world champion in Birmingham before making history on home soil at the Décastar in Talence: he shattered Eaton's decathlon world record, amassing 9,126 points.
Kevin Mayer: Road to Paris 2024
After overcoming a period of injury, Mayer staged a triumphant comeback in 2021, winning the heptathlon at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Toruń, Poland. To crown a remarkable comeback, the Frenchman landed his second consecutive Olympic silver medal at Tokyo 2020 later that summer.
A second world gold medal followed at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, and Mayer opened the 2023 season by winning a third European indoor heptathlon champion title.
However, he ended the season on a low, withdrawing halfway through the competition at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, citing Achilles pain.