Joe Zochert wrote this piece on the Italian surprise for @runblogrun.
Marcel Jacobs was raised by his mother in Italy from the time he was three months old. He told Iconic athletes writer Scott Reid, “Only my muscles are American.” Marcel is a four-time 100m national champion (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021) and a Long jump champion (2016) one time. A PB at the long jump of 8.07m, he has also gone wind-aided 8.48m.
Lamont Marcel Jacobs had a PB of NR 9.95 prior to @Tokyo2020. Now, he has gold in Tokyo and a 9.80 PB and NR! August 1, 2021, photos by @stuartweir, @britathletics, @euroathletics
, @tokyo2020, @usatf, @coachathletics
, @caltrackrn, @larryeder, #tokyodiary2021, #runblogrun, pic.twitter.com/ctq2LxnbSa— RunBlogRun (@RunBlogRun) August 1, 2021
Marcel Jacobs won the 2021 European Indoor Championships in Torun at 60m. He began sports (basketball and football), when his coach, noticing at age of 11 his speed, suggested he look at the track!
Well, we are sure happy he moved to sprinting and long jumping!
The Tokyo Men’s 100 meters: Jacobs shocks himself, and the world in his global win! by Joe Zochert, for RunBlogRun
TOKYO, Japan — The American-born Italian Lamont Marcell Jacobs shocked the world to win his first Gold medal in his first Olympic Games in a dramatic men’s 100m final with a time of 9:80.
Marcel Jacobs had broken the 10-second barrier only twice before Tokyo. He set 3 PBs en route to his gold medal win. On May 13, 2021, Marcel Jacobs ran 9.95 in Savona, Italy, setting an Italian record, and becoming the 150th man to break ten seconds for the 100 meters. On 9 July 2021, Jacobs ran 9.99 at the Herculis Monte Carlo meeting. Marcel scored PBs with 9.94 in round 1, and 9.84 in the semi-final. Marcel Jacobs was primed for the Tokyo Olympic final!
Marcel Jacobs has lived in Italy since he was six months old. He considers himself 100 percent Italian. In 2010, Marcel Jacobs became an Italian citizen. In 2021, he began to represent Italy and in 2015 he gave up his American citizenship.
Marcel Jacobs, 26, had an impressive win from lane 3.He held off USA’s Fred Kerley as he captured Silver with a 9.84 in his first Olympic games. Canada’s Andre De Grasse got Bronze as he clocked a 9.89. It is De Grasse’s second Bronze as he got third in the Rio 2016 Games.
The men’s 100m with Marcel Jacobs (9.80 NR), Italy, gold, @fredkerley (9.84 PB), USA and Andre De Grasse (9.89 PB), gave us an exciting final! August 2, 2021, photos @TaFphoto, @stuartweir, @britathletics, @euroathletics, @tokyo2020, @usatf, @coachathletics
, @caltrackrn, pic.twitter.com/9S35u4EaBV— RunBlogRun (@RunBlogRun) August 2, 2021
There was even drama before the 100m final started as USA’s Trayvon Bromell failed to qualify for the finals in the semis. Bromell was a favorite to medal after tearing his Achilles in the 2016 Rio Games. He will get a chance to continue his redemption story as he is entered in the men’s 4×100, the event where he tore his Achilles.
The men’s final also had a false start as Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes got disqualified after winning the 2nd heat with a season-best 9.98. Then during the race, Nigeria’s Enoch Adegoke failed to finish the race.
Jacobs is the first new person to get Gold in the men’s 100m since 2004 as Jamaica’s Usain Bolt had made the 100m and 200m his own personal playground as he got multiple Gold medals and set World Records in the events during his legendary career.
As mentioned, this is the first Olympic games without Jamaica’s Bolt since 2004. There have been conversations on who will take his throne. Jacobs and his fellow medalists are all at the age of 26 and there are other sprinters, who will be looking to run the gambit.
Jacobs looks like he is running the show for now…The question is: can anyone catch him?
