Record ‘the most beautiful dream’

– World champion Kevin Mayer set a new world record in the decathlon with 9 126 points at the Decastar meet on Sunday to eclipse Ashton Eaton’s previous mark of 9 045.

The Frenchman threw a personal best of 71.90 metres in the javelin in the penultimate event to leave him with the relatively simple task of needing to finish inside 4 minutes 49 seconds in the 1 500 metres.

The 26-year-old cruised home in 4:36 to become just the third decathlete to surpass the mythical 9,000-point barrier, joining double Olympic champion Eaton and Czech icon Roman Sebrle.

“I said perhaps without too much assurance that Berlin was a blessing in disguise, and I think I can now say it for sure,” said Mayer, whose failure to register a mark in the long jump cost him a shot at the European title in Germany last month.

“Achieving the world record in Talence, it’s the most beautiful of dreams I’ve just accomplished.” –

Talence