Kevin Mayer, decathlon world record holder, to miss 2025 season
'I have regained all the range of motion necessary to compete at a high level,' Mayer said, according to a translation of a France track and field federation press release.
The healing process caused his tendon to swell and fibrosis to develop where the sciatic nerve passes, causing irritation, according to the federation. He can play golf, basketball and beach volleyball, but he cannot fully train for the 10-event decathlon at high intensity.
'I feel it when I'm sitting, but without pain,' Mayer said. 'It's almost a phantom injury, like a grain of sand. You don't always feel it, but it causes problems throughout the left posterior chain.'
Mayer, 33, set the world record decathlon score of 9,126 points in 2018. He also won Olympic silver medals in Rio and Tokyo, plus won world titles in 2017 and 2022.
'I have no doubt that it will heal,' he said. 'It's the biggest injury of my career, but with the passion I have for athletics, it's only a matter of time. I don't know how long it will take, but I've never considered retiring. I have total confidence in what I do. My experience and my self-discipline are my best allies.'
Norwegian Markus Rooth won the 2024 Olympic decathlon with 8,796 points, a national record.
Nick Zaccardi,
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