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Marcell JacobsItalian sprinter and long jumper
Date of Birth: 26.09.1994
Country:  Italy |
Content:
- Early Life and Career
- Breakthrough Performances
- National and World Records
- Olympic Gold Medals
- Personal Life and Legacy
Early Life and Career
Lamont Marcell Jacobs is an Italian sprinter and long jumper born to an Italian mother and American father in El Paso, Texas. He spent his first month in Texas before his father was deployed to South Korea and Jacobs relocated with his mother to Desenzano del Garda, Italy.
At the age of ten, Jacobs began practicing athletics, initially focusing on sprints. He discovered long jump in 2011. He later moved to Rome, where he lives with his partner Nicole and their two children, Anthony and Megan. Jacobs also has a son, Jeremy, from a previous relationship.
Breakthrough Performances
In 2016, Jacobs won the Italian Athletics Championships in long jump. He set a personal best of 8.07 meters, ranking tenth in the IAAF World Rankings for the 2017 indoor season. At the Italian Under-23 Championships, he jumped 8.48 meters, an Italian best performance, though it could not be claimed as a national record due to a +2.8 m/s wind speed (the limit is +2.0 m/s).
National and World Records
On May 13, 2021, in Savona, Jacobs set an Italian record in the 100 meters with a time of 9.95 seconds, becoming the 150th person to break the 10-second barrier in history. At the Italian Championships in Rovereto on June 26, 2021, he broke the championship record with 10.01 seconds despite a headwind of -1.0 m/s, winning his fourth consecutive national title.
Olympic Gold Medals
Jacobs achieved his greatest triumph at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. On August 1, he became the Olympic champion in the 100 meters, setting a personal best of 9.80 seconds in the final. Five days later, he became a two-time Olympic champion as part of Italy's winning 4x100 meter relay team.
Personal Life and Legacy
When asked about his heritage, Jacobs has stated that he feels 100% Italian, acknowledging that he does not speak English very well. He is currently considered one of the best sprinters in the world and holds the European record in the 100 meters.
