Marcell Jacobs Shocks and Takes Gold for Italy in the Men's 100m

In a blazing finals, Italian sprinter and long jumper, Lamont Marcell Jacobs wins the men’s 100 meters. He is the first Italian to win the 100m Olympic title.

Jacobs crossed the line in a time of 9.80s, setting a new European record in the 100 meters.

In contrast to previous years of Bolt domination, Jamaica was no where to be seen on the line. The American favorite, Trayvon Bromell, was also absent from these finals.

What was the path to Jacobs securing Italy's first gold in the event?

Born in El Paso, Texas, Jacobs is the son of an Italian mother and American father. His father was transferred to South Korea for work, so he returned to Italy with his mother as a child. He began competing in athletics around 10, specializing in the sprints and long jump.

Although his Olympic champion title in the 100 meters may come as a surprise, Jacobs has had a phenomenal season. He won the 60m title during the 2021 European Athletics Indoor Championships, and finished the 100m in 9.95s at the International Savona Meet.

From the moment he stepped foot in Tokyo, he has been at peak performance. In his semifinal heat, he completed his sprint in a time of 9.84 seconds, setting a European record and a personal best.

However, the semi-finals made it clear the finals would be competitive. China’s Bingtian Su won Jacobs’s heat with a time of 9.83s. America’s Ronnie Baker came in 2nd running the sprint in 9.83s. Another top sprinter, Canada's Andre De Grasse, completed his semifinals in 9.96s. The United State's Fred Kerley was close behind at 9.98s.

In the finals, Jacobs got an excellent start, as did the other competitors. He pulled away in the last portion of the race to secure his first Olympic medal.

Fred Kerley won a silver medal for the United States, finishing in a time of 9.84s. De Grasse finished in 9.89s to secure the bronze medal and a new personal best.

Trayvon Bromell, who placed first in the United States’ qualifying events for the Games, was expected to be a prime contender. However, he finished his semifinals in 12th place with a time of 10.00s. Bromell lost out on an automatic qualification spot to the final by one millisecond, taking third in his semifinal.

In this post-Bolt era, the 100 meters is truly anyone’s game for this field of top competitors. With athlete’s edging each other out by milliseconds, the 100 meters will likely be as exhilarating as it was in Tokyo 2020 for the rest of the 2021 season.