Lamont Marcell Jacobs after Olympic gold: It was my childhood dream

Italian sprinter Jacobs ecstatic after winning 100m gold medal in 9.8 seconds to end Bolt’s 13-year hold

Italy’s Lamont Marcell Jacobs outshone a field of unusual suspects to claim a shock Olympic gold in the men’s 100 metres on Sunday, breaking retired Jamaican star Usain Bolt’s 13-year hold on the blue-riband event. 

Jacobs, 26, timed a European record of 9.80 seconds, with American Fred Kerley taking silver in 9.84sec in one of the most understated major championship 100m races of recent times. 

Canada’s Andre de Grasse, a bronze medallist at the 2016 Rio Games, repeated the feat in 9.89sec in Tokyo. “It’s a dream, it is fantastic. Maybe tomorrow I can imagine what they are saying, but today it is incredible,” said Texas-born Jacobs, who until 2020 had never gone below the 10sec barrier. “It was my childhood dream to win an Olympic Games and obviously a dream can turn into something different, but to run this final and win it is a dream come true.” Kerley said that he barely knew Jacobs. “I raced him once, in Monaco,” he said. “But I know nothing about him.” 

De Grasse said he was happy with a personal best and another Olympic medal after a comeback from injury. “9.80 from the Italian guy, I didn’t expect that,” the Canadian added. “I thought my main competition would have been the Americans, but definitely he came to play.” 

The athletes were introduced in a dramatic light show—the stadium floodlights were shut off and 12 projectors cast 3D images of the world, zooming in to the Tokyo skyline, and then the name of each sprinter. 

The lights came back on, swiftly followed by a horrendous false start for Zharnel Hughes in lane four. Jacobs made a good start, held his nerve through the drive phase and powered through to the line. He joyously ran into the arms of Italian teammate Gianmarco Tamberi, who had just shared gold in the men’s high jump. “Being here together is something spectacular. I believe in him and believed in myself,” beamed Jacobs.

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