Shock Italian Tokyo Olympics 100m gold medallist Lamont Marcell Jacobs is poised to make his long-awaited return to the track in Berlin in February
- Lamont Marcell Jacobs won gold medals in the 100m and 4x100m relay in Tokyo
- The Italian has not raced since the Olympics as he decided to give his body a rest
- But he will finally be back in action in February when he competes in Berlin
The Olympic 100m champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs will end his prolonged absence from the track in Berlin next February.
In a move that raised eyebrows around the sport, the Italian has not raced since adding the 4x100m relay gold in Tokyo on August 6 to the individual crown he won as a rank outsider five days earlier.
He went on to immediately end his season, turning his back on the five remaining meets of the lucrative Diamond League circuit, citing fatigue.
Lamont Marcell Jacobs shocked the world at the Olympics (above), but he has not raced since
He could not hide his delight as he became the first Italian ever to win a 100m gold medal
However, the 27-year-old has confirmed he will compete at an outdoor event at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin on February 4.
Jacobs’ rise to the top of the sprinting world has been a remarkable one considering he previously competed solely as a long jumper until 2018.
Having turned to the track in recent years, he only ran under 10 seconds for the first time back in May, and was not expected to challenge for a medal in the summer.
Jacobs had an extraordinary week in Tokyo, which also included winning relay gold (above)
However, he defied the odds to improve his personal best to 9.80 seconds in the Olympic final in Japan, which earned him the gold medal ahead of American Fred Kerley and Canada’s Andre De Grasse, who went on to win the 200m title later in the week.
Jacobs was then part of the team that pipped Great Britain on the line in the 4x100m relay to cap off a dream week for Italian sprinting.
He created history in August, becoming the first Italian ever to take home the 100m Olympic crown, and athletics fans will no doubt be excited to see him back in action when he ends his six-month hiatus in early 2022.