Sawt Falasteen - Decathlon world record holder Kevin Mayer sits out 2025 season

The 33-year-old double world champion said that until two weeks ago he had still hoped to return for the world championships in Tokyo in September, but the "serious" injury had affected him "mentally and physically".

"It's my first blank season, the first year that I won't be wearing the French team colours," Mayer told reporters in an online briefing.

"I've had some really bad injuries in my career but this is the most serious so it's going to take more time. And I have no doubt that it will heal."

Mayer, who also won Olympic silver medals at the 2016 and 2020 Games, said he was "playing his last hand" in choosing to halt his training for the 10-event decathlon to concentrate on specific strengthening exercises.

The Frenchman, who set the world record of 9,126 points in 2018, has been dogged by injuries in the past two years.

He was forced to drop out of the 2023 world championships in Budapest after feeling pain in his Achilles tendon after the 100m.

Then his hopes of performing in front of a home crowd at the 2024 Paris Olympics were crushed when he injured his hamstring in a 110m hurdles race at the Paris Diamond League meeting just weeks before the Games.

Mayer said he was still hopeful of competing at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

"We all have our cross to bear. Mine is my physical state. I know very well that if I sort out the problem, I can go on for a very, very long time," he said.

P.Tamimi--SF-PST