Marcell Jacobs Explained

Fullname:Lamont Marcell Jacobs Jr. Lb
National Team:Italy (2016–)[1]
Birth Date:1994 9, df=y
Birth Place:El Paso, Texas, United States
Height:1.86 m[2]
Weight:84 kg
Sport:Athletics
Club:G.S. Fiamme Oro
Pb:
  • 60 m: 6.41 (2022)
  • 100 m: 9.80 (2021)
  • 200 m: 20.61 (2018)
    • Long jump: 8.07 m (2017)

Lamont Marcell Jacobs Jr. (pronounced as /it/;[3] born 26 September 1994) is an Italian track and field sprinter and former long jumper. He is the 2020 Olympic 100 metres champion, the 2022 60 metres world champion, the 2022 and 2024 European 100 metres champion, and a member of the gold medal-winning relay team at the 2020 Olympics. He currently holds the 100 metres European record, the 60 metres European record, and is the first person to ever qualify for and win the men's 100 metres Olympic final for Italy.

Early life

Jacobs is the son of Viviana Masini, an Italian woman, and Lamont Marcell Jacobs Sr., an African American serviceman.[4] [5] [6] [7] [8] His parents met when his father was a United States Army soldier serving at Caserma Ederle in Vicenza, Italy. His father was 18 and his mother was 16 at the time.[8]

His parents married and relocated to Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. Three years later, Jacobs was born.[8] When he was three weeks old, his father was transferred to South Korea, and Jacobs moved to Desenzano del Garda, in Lombardy, Italy, with his mother.[9] [10] His parents split when he was six months old.[11]

He started out playing basketball and football, where his football coach, Adriano Bertazzi, took notice of his speed and suggested that Jacobs try sprinting.

When Jacobs was ten, he began competing in athletics. He preferred sprinting until he discovered the long jump in 2011.

Personal life

Jacobs lives in Rome with his wife, Nicole Daza, and their two children.[10] [12] Jacobs has another son, born from a previous relationship when Jacobs was nineteen.[13]

Although Jacobs was born in the United States, he identifies as Italian.[14]

Jacobs had been estranged from his father since he was an infant; however, in 2020, he reestablished a relationship with him at the suggestion of his mental coach. He said that reconciling with his father gave him the motivation and peace of mind he needed to focus on winning in the Olympics.[15]

Career

Long jump

In 2016, Jacobs won the Italian Athletics Championships in long jump. With a personal best of 8.07 meters, he ranked tenth on the IAAF (now World Athletics) world-leading list at the end of the 2017 indoor season.[16]

At the 2016 Italian U23 Championships, he jumped 8.48 meters, the best performance ever for an Italian, although this result was not recognized as a national record due to a 2.8 m/s tailwind, which was 0.8 m/s above the allowable maximum for any record performance.[17] [18]

Jacobs did not participate in the 2016 Summer Olympics due to a hamstring injury.[19]

Sprinting

In 2019, Jacobs decided to focus his efforts exclusively on sprinting, citing frequent injuries while long jumping among the reasons for this switch.[20]

In July 2019, Jacobs lowered his 100 metres personal best to 10.03 seconds, making him the third-fastest Italian in history.[20]

On 6 March 2021, Jacobs won the 60 metres European title at the 2021 European Athletics Indoor Championships held in Toruń, Poland, setting a new national record and worldwide season-best with a time of 6.47 seconds.[20]

On 13 May 2021, in Savona, Italy, Jacobs set the Italian record in the 100 metres with a time of 9.95 seconds, becoming the 150th person in history and the second Italian, after Filippo Tortu, to break the 10-second barrier.[21] On 26 June 2021, into a headwind of −1.0 m/s in Rovereto, he broke the Italian championship record with a time of 10.01 seconds, winning his fourth national title in a row.

2020 Olympics

Jacobs won his first 100 metres heat at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in 9.94 seconds, improving his own Italian record by 0.01. In the semi-final, he was third with a time of 9.84 seconds, setting a new European record and qualifying for the final with the third overall fastest time. He is the first Italian to ever reach an Olympic 100m final.[22] [23]

In the final, Jacobs won the gold medal with a time of 9.80 seconds, beating Fred Kerley (9.84) and Andre De Grasse (9.89).[24] Jacobs is the first Italian to win the gold medal in the event, and the first European to win since Linford Christie won the event at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.[25]

His effort broke the European record he set in the semi-final earlier that day, recording the fastest time ever run by an athlete that is neither American nor Jamaican. Due to this performance, Jacobs is tied with Steve Mullings as the 10th fastest man of all time.[26] [27] Jacobs was not favored to win the race, with bookmakers giving him a three percent chance of winning.[28] [29]

Jacobs later won a second gold medal in the 4×100 metres as part of the Italian relay team, along with Lorenzo Patta, Fausto Desalu and Filippo Tortu. It was the first time Italy had ever won this event, and also the first time Italy had earned a medal in the event in 73 years.[30] [31] Jacobs ran the team's second leg (split time: 8.925), contributing to its total run time of 37.50 seconds, setting a new Italian record.[32] [33]

Due to his outstanding achievements, Jacobs was selected by the Italian Olympic Committee to be Italy's flag bearer during the Olympics closing ceremony.[34]

Jacobs ended his season shortly after the Olympics, citing fatigue, and cancelling two upcoming Diamond League appearances.[35]

After the Games, it was reported that Giacomo Spazzini, who had worked as Jacobs' nutritionist, was involved in a steroid investigation in Italy. In response, Jacobs' agent stated that the athlete had cut ties with Spazzini several months before the Olympics.[36] In 2022, the investigators established that Spazzini himself was a victim of collaboration with a person who turned out to be a fake doctor: the biologist Antonio Armiento who negotiated a sentence of 1 year and 11 months and 20 days for falsely declaring he was a doctor and free prescription of antihistamines and diuretics.[37]

2021/2022 indoor season

Jacobs returned to competition in February 2022, winning the 60 m race at the ISTAF Indoor in Berlin with a time of 6.51.[38] In subsequent races, which included winning the national 60 m indoor title, he lowered his season best to 6.49,[39] arriving at the world indoor championships in Belgrade with the 5th fastest time in the season. In his semi-final he equalled the world leading time of 6.45,[40] held by pre-championship favorite and world record holder Christian Coleman and Bahamian sprinter Terrence Jones, setting a new national record. In the final he edged Coleman by 3 thousands of a second setting a new European record of 6.41,[41] winning the gold medal and becoming the 4th fastest man in history on such distance.

2022 outdoor season

Jacobs was supposed to start his outdoor season competing in the 100 metres at the 2022 Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi, Kenya, however he missed his debut after being hospitalised for a gastrointestinal infection.[42] He officially opened his outdoor season with a time of 10.04, winning an international meet in Savona,[43] after changing his original plan of competing in the 200 metres.[44] Having sustained a slight injury to his biceps femoris, he took the decision to withdraw from three Diamond League meets which were on his calendar.[45]

Having had to withdraw before the semi-finals of the 2022 World Championships due to a thigh injury, at the 2022 European Championships in Munich, Jacobs won the 100m final in a time of 9.95 seconds, beating reigning champion Zharnel Hughes into the second position (9.99s), with Jeremiah Azu completing the podium with a time of 10.13.[46]

Statistics

European records

National records

Progression

100 m[48]
Year PerformanceVenueDate
2011 11.19 20 May
2012 10.68 19 May
2013 11.19 19 August
2014 10.53 18 May
2016 10.23 25 May
2017 10.82 30 June
2018 10.08 23 May
2019 10.03 16 July
2020 10.10 1 August
2021 9.80 1 August
2022 9.95 16 August
2023 10.05 20 August
2024 9.85 Paris4 August

International competition

Year Competition Venue Position EventPerformanceNotes
2016Mediterranean U23 Championships Tunisbgcolor=gold1stLong jump7.95 m
European Championships Amsterdam11thLong jump7.59 m
2017European Indoor Championships BelgradeLong jump7.70 m
2018European Championships Berlin11th 100 m10.28
2019European Indoor Championships GlasgowLong jumpNM
YokohamaFinal relayDNF
align=left rowspan=2World Championshipsalign=left rowspan=2 Doha19th 100 m10.20
10th relay38.11
2021European Indoor Championships Toruńbgcolor=gold1st60 m6.47,
World Relays Chorzówbgcolor=gold1st4×100 m relay39.21[49]
align=left rowspan=2Olympic Gamesalign=left rowspan=2 Tokyobgcolor=gold1st 100 m9.80
bgcolor=gold1st 4×100 m relay37.50,
2022align=left World Indoor Championshipsalign=left bgcolor=gold1st60 m6.41,
World Championships EugeneN/A 100 m10.04
European Championshipsbgcolor=gold1st100 m9.95,
2023European Indoor Championships Istanbulbgcolor=silver2nd60 m6.50
World Championships Budapest12th 100 m10.05
bgcolor=silver2nd4×100 m relay37.62 [50]
2024World Relays NassauFinal4×100 m relayDQ[51]
align=left rowspan=2European Championshipsalign=left rowspan=2 Romebgcolor=gold1st100 m10.02
bgcolor=gold1st4×100 m relay37.82
Olympic Games Paris5th100 m9.85

Other meetings

Year Competition Venue Position EventPerformance Notes
2021BAUHAUS-galan Stockholmbgcolor=silver2nd100 m10.05
Herculis Montecarlo3rd100 m9.99
2022ISTAF Indoor Berlinbgcolor=gold1st60 m6.51
ORLEN Cup Łódźbgcolor=gold1st60 m6.49
2023ORLEN Cup Łódźbgcolor=gold1st60 m6.57
Liévin International Meeting Liévinbgcolor=silver2nd60 m6.57
Hanžeković Memorial Zagreb3rd100 m10.08
2024East Coast Relays Jacksonvillebgcolor=silver2nd100 m10.11
Golden Spike Ostrava3rd100 m10.19

National competitions

Year Competition Venue Position EventPerformanceNotes
2016U23 Italian Athletics Championships Brixenbgcolor=gold1stLong jump8.48 m,
Italian Athletics Championships Rietibgcolor=gold1stLong jump8.07 m
2017Italian Athletics Indoor Championships Rietibgcolor=gold1stLong jump8.06 m
2018Italian Athletics Championships Pescarabgcolor=gold1st100 m10.24
2019Italian Athletics Championships Brixenbgcolor=gold1st100 m10.10
2020International Triveneto meeting Triestebgcolor=gold1st100 m10.10
Italian Athletics Championships Brixenbgcolor=gold1st100 m10.10
2021Italian Athletics Indoor Championships Anconabgcolor=gold1st60 m6.55
International Savona meeting Savonabgcolor=gold1st100 m9.95
Italian Athletics Championships Roveretobgcolor=gold1st100 m10.01CR
2022Italian Athletics Indoor Championships Anconabgcolor=gold1st60 m6.55
Italian Athletics Championships Rietibgcolor=gold1st100 m10.12
2023Italian Athletics Indoor Championships Anconabgcolor=silver2nd60 m6.55
2024Roma Sprintfestival Romebgcolor=gold1st100 m10.07

* Denotes senior level national champion.

National titles

Jacobs won nine national championships at individual senior level.[52] [53]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Marcell Jacobs Biografia. fidal.it. Italian Athletics Federation. it. 3 May 2021.
  2. Web site: LAMONT MARCELL JACOBS - XXXIII Giochi Olimpici Estivi Parigi 2024. coni.it. CONI. 20 July 2024.
  3. Web site: JACOBS Lamont Marcell. Paris 2024. International Olympic Committee. 7 August 2024.
  4. News: Marco Imarisio. 'Un'estate italiana: Tamberi, Jacobs, la Nazionale di Mancini. Lo sport spinge l'Italia a fiducia e resistenza. Corriere Della Sera. 1 Aug 2021.
  5. News: Giulia Zonca. I 100 metri visti alla playstation: Tortu e Jacobs pronti al via. La Stampa. 27 Sep 2019.
  6. News: Nancy Montgomery. 'Who is Lamont Marcell Jacobs, Italy's first fastest man. New York Times. 2 Aug 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210804134106/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/01/sports/olympics/lamont-marcell-jacobs-italy-100-meters.html. 4 August 2021.
  7. News: Kait Hanson. Olympic runner says reunion with estranged dad made him 'fastest man in world'. Today. 2 Aug 2021.
  8. Web site: Lauren McCarthy. 'World's fastest man' raised by Italian single mother who met his US soldier father at Vicenza. Stars and Stripes. 1 Aug 2021.
  9. Web site: 15 May 2021. Mamma e Garda, le radici di Jacobs l'uomo che l'Italia voleva da anni. fidal.it. it.
  10. Web site: Lamont Marcell Jacobs biography. fidal.it.it. it. La mamma, sposata con un texano, è tornata in Italia quando Marcell era ancora bambino.. 28 August 2017.
  11. News: Olympic champion Jacobs was determined to find his dad. The Washington Post. 1 August 2021. 2 August 2021. ... but his parents separated when he was 6 months old..
  12. 4 Aug 2021 . Jacobs, l'annuncio che spiazza della compagna Nicole Daza: "Il nostro futuro è negli Stati Uniti". La Stampa. 3m08s.
  13. Web site: Atletica, chi è Marcell Jacobs, il nuovo recordman italiano sui 100 metri. tg24.sky.it. Padre di tre figli, Anthony e Megan avuti dall'attuale compagna Nicole, e Jeremy da una relazione precedente all'età di 19 anni.. it. 13 May 2021. 14 May 2021.
  14. News: Alberto Dolfin. Atletica:ecco chi è Lamont Marcell Jacobs, il recordman azzurro sui 100 metri. La Stampa. 14 May 2021. it.
  15. News: Rebecca Falconer. Olympic sprint champ Jacobs says reconnecting with U.S. father "gave me the desire to win". 2 Aug 2021.
  16. Web site: SENIOR INDOOR 2017 - TRIPLE JUMP MEN. iaaf.org. 28 August 2017.
  17. Web site: Atletica, Jacobs vola: 8.48 ventoso. gazzetta.it. it. 28 August 2017.
  18. Web site: Jacobs, an cora un lampo: 10.12 a Campi Bisenzio!. fidal.it.it. it. 5 May 2018.
  19. Web site: Infortunio per Marcell Jacobs. fidal.it. it. 7 August 2021.
  20. Web site: Third time lucky at European Indoors, Jacobs now turns his attention to outdoor world stage. World Athletics. en. 3 August 2021.
  21. Web site: Athletics - Final Results. olympics.com. en. 1 August 2021. 1 August 2021. 31 July 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210731202319/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/athletics/result-men-s-100m-fnl-000100-.htm. dead.
  22. Web site: 100m, Jacobs centra la prima storica finale per l'Italia. 1 August 2021. olympics.com. 7 August 2021.
  23. Web site: 2021-08-01 . Tokyo 2020, Marcell Jacobs è l'uomo più veloce del mondo: "Non avevo niente da perdere" . 2023-10-21 . alanews . it-IT.
  24. Web site: Tokyo Olympics: Lamont Marcell Jacobs claims shock 100m gold. 1 August 2021. BBC Sport. 4 August 2021.
  25. News: Olympics-Athletics-Jacobs says reconnecting with father pushed him to 100m gold. Reuters. 2 Aug 2021.
  26. Web site: 2021-08-01. Athletics-Italian Jacobs wins men's 100m gold at Tokyo Olympics. 2021-08-01. Reuters.
  27. Web site: 2021-08-03. 100 Metres - men - senior -outdoor. 2021-08-03. World Athletics.
  28. News: Adam Kilgore. 'In 9.80 seconds, a broad-shouldered, baldheaded Italian man born in Texas shocked the world. Washington Post. 1 Aug 2021.
  29. Web site: Andy Bull. Marcell Jacobs has inspiring story to share in sprinting's post-Bolt era. The Guardian. 1 Aug 2021.
  30. News: Mitch Phillips. Athletics-Relay golds cap amazing week for Italy, Jamaica. Reuters. 6 Aug 2021.
  31. 4 Aug 2021 . Italy win first ever Olympic men's 4x100 metres relay title. France 24. 2m16s.
  32. News: Gerald Imray. 'Four Ferraris': Italy race to shock 4x100 gold at Olympics. Associated Press. 6 Aug 2021.
  33. Web site: Senior Outdoor 4x100 Metres Relay Men. World Athletics. 6 Aug 2021.
  34. News: Olympics-Athletics: Jacobs named Italy flag bearer for closing ceremony. Reuters. 5 Aug 2021. 8 Aug 2021.
  35. Web site: Dickinson . Marley . Lamont Marcell Jacobs decides to end his season early . Running Canada . 12 August 2021 . 4 February 2022.
  36. Web site: Cooper . Sam . The shock Olympic 100 meter champion seemed to revel in a rival sprinter's doping probe, saying it 'makes me smile' . Insider . 4 February 2022.
  37. Web site: Sospetti infamanti su Jacobs: assolto l'ex nutrizionista che collaborò con il campione olimpico . it . fanpage.it . 2022-01-14 . 2023-05-28.
  38. Web site: Berlino, Jacobs vince i 60 metri indoor in 6"51 . 2022-03-22 . RaiNews . 4 February 2022 . it.
  39. Web site: Jacobs vince la finale dei 60 in 6"49. Dosso record italiano: 7"19, eguagliata la Masullo . 2022-03-22 . La Gazzetta dello Sport . 11 February 2022 . it-IT.
  40. Web site: European Athletics . 2022-03-22 . www.european-athletics.com . en.
  41. Web site: 2022-03-21 . Jacobs proves Olympics was no fluke with indoor title - English . 2022-03-22 . ANSA.it . en.
  42. Web site: Jacobs, notte in ospedale per un virus: non correrà a Nairobi . 2022-05-18 . La Gazzetta dello Sport . 7 May 2022 . it-IT.
  43. Web site: 2022-05-18 . LIVE Atletica, Meeting Savona 2022 in DIRETTA: Marcell Jacobs vince in 10"04 (9"99 in semifinale)! Dosso avvicina il record italiano! . 2022-05-18 . OA Sport . it-IT.
  44. Web site: Sport . Sky . Jacobs, la prima sui 100 dopo Tokyo sarà a Savona . 2022-05-18 . sport.sky.it . 14 May 2022 . it.
  45. Web site: Riecco Jacobs, il 30 giugno in pista: "Sarò a Stoccolma" . 2022-06-22 . La Gazzetta dello Sport . 22 June 2022 . it-IT.
  46. News: European Championships Munich 2022: Dina Asher-Smith pulls up with cramp after Lamont Marcell Jacobs won men's 100m. BBC Sport . 16 August 2022 . 2022-08-16 . en-EN.
  47. Web site: Athletics - Final Results - Men's 4 x 100m Relay. en. IOC. 6 August 2021. 5 August 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210805234729/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/athletics/result-men-s-4-x-100m-relay-fnl-000100-.htm. dead. - Current holder
  48. Web site: Marcell Jacobs - Progression. worldathletics.org. 20 August 2021.
  49. Web site: Results 4 x 100 Metres Relay Men - Final. worldathletics.org. 2 May 2021. 3 May 2021.
  50. in the semifinals.
  51. [2024 World Athletics Relays – Men's 4 × 100 metres relay#Heats|38.14]
  52. Web site: CAMPIONATI "ASSOLUTI" – UOMINI TUTTI I CAMPIONI – 1906-2016. sportolimpico.it . 28 August 2017.
  53. Web site: Dal Molin record italiano 13.27, Jacobs 10.01!. fidal.it. it. 26 June 2021. 27 June 2021.
  54. Web site: CAMPIONATI ITALIANI ASSOLUTI INDOOR - Ancona, 26 e 27 febbraio 2022. fidal.it. it. 27 February 2022. 27 February 2022.