Decathlon athlete Makenson Gletty met with students from two elementary schools at Stade Charles Ehrmann this Tuesday.
On Tuesday, April 9, decathlete Makenson Gletty met with 50 students from two elementary schools in Nice to answer their questions about his career. Makenson Gletty is a high-level athlete in the decathlon. This sporting event comprises ten disciplines: the 100 m, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400 m, 110 m hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw, and 1,500 m.
He was crowned French champion in the heptathlon at the 2023 French Indoor Championships in Aubière. Subsequently, he was crowned French champion in the decathlon at the 2023 French Athletics Championships in Albi, setting his personal record to 8,279 points.
The rising star of French decathlon is thrilled to share this unique moment: “It is a real pleasure for me to welcome students who are curious about discovering my sport. I am eager to answer all their questions and share with them my daily life as a high-level athlete. This meeting is also a precious moment for me, outside the time and my training bubble.”
During this meeting, students from the two classes were able to ask all the questions they wanted about the athlete’s career.
Question and Answer Session with Students
Why did you choose decathlon? And do you like other sports besides decathlon?
“I chose the decathlon because I like to do everything. I am always looking to improve in all disciplines, and the decathlon allows me to try everything and never do the same discipline twice. I really like basketball and combat sports.”
What is your biggest fear?
“I think it is getting a zero. That is, scoring zero points in a competition, and a zero means the end of the competition.”
Which decathlon discipline do you dread the most? And which discipline is your favorite?
“It’s complicated, I like to do everything, but if I really have to choose a discipline, I would say shot put. I would say long jump and high jump. Initially, I was very afraid of the pole vault, as well as the 1500 meters and the 400 meters.”
Why participate in the Olympic Games? And how much time do you spend training?
“Why participate? Because it’s a childhood dream; when I was your age, I already wanted to participate in the Olympics. It’s a dream that becomes a reality and an objective. To achieve it, I train six days a week, accumulating between 18 and over 20 hours. It can vary from two hours a day to an entire day.”
After sharing a great moment with the children, the students were then invited to participate in three major decathlon events: jumping, throwing, and running. They were also able to give him drawings made in class about the decathlon disciplines.
