Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
French decathlete Mael-Bephassou Lannurien described how watching Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt on TV as a child motivated him to run frequently, eventually leading his parents to encourage him to join a running club. Lannurien found enjoyment, competition, and friendship at the track, which reinforced his passion for athletics over other sports such as gymnastics, swimming, table tennis, and basketball. His diverse athletic ability inspired him to pursue the decathlon rather than specialize in a single event. "I started the decathlon just because I was so good at everything that I was doing, and I didn't want to choose just one," he said.
Lannurien expressed a particular affinity for hurdles, where his height provides an advantage. He won the 60m hurdles at the French U20 Indoor Championships earlier in the year with a time of 7.62 seconds, demonstrating his capability to succeed among specialists while training for multiple events. At the World Athletics U20 Championships in Oregon, the 18-year-old French athlete had the chance to meet two-time Olympic decathlon champion Ashton Eaton. Lannurien described this opportunity as "awesome and incredible" and said he intended to enjoy the experience without feeling pressured by Eaton's presence.
Despite enjoying his time on the track, Lannurien maintains a disciplined mindset focused on continuous learning and technique. He noted, "You always have to want to learn, because if you don't want to learn, that's where you are going to stutter. You will never progress, and you're never going to improve in life." He shared a recent experience during the French U20 Combined Events Championships where extreme heat caused fatigue, leading him to fall asleep in the call room before the decathlon 100m event, which affected his performance with an 11.34 second finish compared to his personal best of 10.88 seconds set earlier in the season.