Marcell Jacobs
FullnameLamont Marcell Jacobs Jr.
CitizenshipAmerican · Italian
National teamItaly (2016–)[1]
Birth date26 September 1994 (age 32)[1]
Birth placeEl Paso, Texas, United States[1]
Height1.86 m[2]
Weight84 kg[2]
SportAthletics
EventSprints · relays · long jump
ClubG.S. Fiamme Oro
Pb
  • 60 m: 6.41 (2022) ()
  • 100 m: 9.80 (2021)
  • 200 m: 20.61 (2018)
  • 4 × 100 m relay: 37.50 (2021)
  • Long jump: 8.07 m () (2017)

Lamont Marcell Jacobs Jr. (laˈmɔnt marˈsɛl ˈdʒakobs; 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 4 × 100 m relay team at the 2020 Olympics. He currently holds the 100 metres European record, the 60 metres European record, and is the first Italian to qualify for or win the men's 100 metres Olympic final.

Early life

Jacobs is the son of Viviana Masini, an Italian woman, and Lamont Marcell Jacobs Sr., an African American serviceman.[3][4][5][6][7] 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.[7]

His parents married and relocated to Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. Three years later, Jacobs was born.[7] 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.[8][9] His parents split when he was six months old.[10]

He started out playing basketball and football, where his football coach, Adriano Bertazzi, took notice of his speed and suggested that Jacobs try sprinting.[11]

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.[9][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][16]

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.[17]

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.[18][19]

Jacobs did not participate in the 2016 Summer Olympics due to a hamstring injury.[20]

Sprinting

In 2019, Jacobs decided to focus his efforts exclusively on sprinting, citing frequent injuries while long jumping among the reasons for this switch.[11]

In July 2019, Jacobs lowered his 100 metres personal best to 10.03 seconds, making him the third-fastest Italian in history.[11]

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.[11]

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 100 m 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.[15]

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.[25][26] Jacobs was not favored to win the race, with bookmakers giving him a three percent chance of winning.[27][28]

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.[29][30] 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.[31][32]

Due to his outstanding achievements, Jacobs was selected by the Italian Olympic Committee to be Italy's flag bearer during the Olympics closing ceremony.[33]

Jacobs ended his season shortly after the Olympics, citing fatigue, and cancelling two upcoming Diamond League appearances.[34]

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.[35] 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.[36]

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.[37] In subsequent races, which included winning the national 60 m indoor title, he lowered his season best to 6.49,[38] 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,[39] 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,[40] 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.[41] He officially opened his outdoor season with a time of 10.04, winning an international meet in Savona,[42] after changing his original plan of competing in the 200 metres.[43] 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.[44]

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 100 m 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.[45]

Statistics

European records

National records

Progression

100 m[47]
YearPerformanceVenueDate
201111.19Chiari20 May
201210.68Campi Bisenzio19 May
201311.19Chiasso19 August
201410.53Gavardo18 May
201610.23Savona25 May
201710.82Trieste30 June
201810.08Savona23 May
201910.03Padua16 July
202010.10Trieste1 August
20219.80Tokyo1 August
20229.95Munich16 August
202310.05Budapest20 August
20249.85Paris4 August

International competition

YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventPerformanceNotes
2016Mediterranean U23 ChampionshipsTunis1stLong jump7.95 m
European ChampionshipsAmsterdam11thLong jump7.59 m
2017European Indoor ChampionshipsBelgradeQual.Long jump7.70 m
2018European ChampionshipsBerlin11th (sf)100 m10.28
2019European Indoor ChampionshipsGlasgowQual.Long jumpNM
IAAF World RelaysYokohamaFinal4 × 100 m relayDNF
World ChampionshipsDoha19th (sf)100 m10.20
10th (sf)4 × 100 m relay38.11
2021European Indoor ChampionshipsToruń1st60 m6.47,
World RelaysChorzów1st4 × 100 m relay39.21[48]
Olympic GamesTokyo1st100 m9.80
1st4 × 100 m relay37.50,
2022World Indoor ChampionshipsBelgrade1st60 m6.41,
World ChampionshipsEugeneN/A (sf)100 m10.04
European ChampionshipsMunich1st100 m9.95,
2023European Indoor ChampionshipsIstanbul2nd60 m6.50
World ChampionshipsBudapest12th (sf)100 m10.05
2nd4 × 100 m relay37.62[49]
2024World RelaysNassauFinal4 × 100 m relayDQ[50]
European ChampionshipsRome1st100 m10.02
1st4 × 100 m relay37.82
Olympic GamesParis5th100 m9.85

Other meetings

YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventPerformanceNotes
2021BAUHAUS-galanStockholm2nd100 m10.05
HerculisMontecarlo3rd100 m9.99
2022ISTAF IndoorBerlin1st60 m6.51
ORLEN CupŁódź1st60 m6.49
2023ORLEN CupŁódź1st60 m6.57
Liévin International MeetingLiévin2nd60 m6.57
Hanžeković MemorialZagreb3rd100 m10.08
2024East Coast RelaysJacksonville2nd100 m10.11
Golden SpikeOstrava3rd100 m10.19

National competitions

YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventPerformanceNotes
2016U23 Italian Athletics ChampionshipsBrixen1stLong jump8.48 m,
Italian Athletics ChampionshipsRieti1stLong jump8.07 m
2017Italian Athletics Indoor ChampionshipsRieti1stLong jump8.06 m
2018Italian Athletics ChampionshipsPescara1st100 m10.24
2019Italian Athletics ChampionshipsBrixen1st100 m10.10
2020International Triveneto meetingTrieste1st100 m10.10
Italian Athletics ChampionshipsBrixen1st100 m10.10
2021Italian Athletics Indoor ChampionshipsAncona1st60 m6.55
International Savona meetingSavona1st100 m9.95
Italian Athletics ChampionshipsRovereto1st100 m10.01CR*
2022Italian Athletics Indoor ChampionshipsAncona1st60 m6.55
Italian Athletics ChampionshipsRieti1st100 m10.12
2023Italian Athletics Indoor ChampionshipsAncona2nd60 m6.55
2024Roma SprintfestivalRome1st100 m10.07
* Denotes senior level national champion.

National titles

Jacobs won nine national championships at individual senior level.[51][52]

Track records

As of 24 September 2024, Jacobs holds the following track records for 100 metres.

LocationTimeWindspeed
m/s		DateNotes
Munich9.95+0.116/08/2022
Tokyo9.80+0.101/08/2021Track record is shared with
Carl Lewis (USA) from 24/08/1991.
Turku9.92+1.518/06/2024

See also

References

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