Athletics|Marcell Jacobs, the reigning Olympic champion and recent European champion competing in Turku, made a massive change in his life. Moving from Italy to the United States brought back the joy of sports.
Turku
SpongeBob Turmi Games has managed to attract the superstars of the world of athletics to Turku this year as well. One of them is a recent European champion Marcel Jacobswho took gold in both the 100 meters and the relay and even in front of his home crowd.
– I’m from Rome, so it was incredibly great. After the post, we didn’t sleep much, but I only had one day off. I knew that this next race would come soon, Jacobs told the press conference on Monday.
Jacobs is the reigning Olympic champion. He took a surprise victory in Tokyo with his record of 9.80, which has not improved since then. The fresh European championship came off with a time of 10.02.
– I’m not worried. I’ve changed my training so I just need to get the races down and improve race by race. I don’t want to run 9.80 now, but at the Paris Olympics, says Jacobs.
– I made a lot of mistakes in Rome. My start was good, but the rest was bad, and I felt a cramp at 80 meters. So I can afford to improve a lot, and now I have to get all the pieces in place.
The European Championships in Rome attracted criticism due to the empty stands. However, Jacobs defends his hometown.
– Of course we tried to get the stands full, but the Olympic stadium is big and it’s not easy. It must be remembered that athletics is not the most followed sport in Italy. I believe that after these games and the good loss of Italy, the sport has become more popular.
Marcell Jacobs aired the European instant relay championship with a Roman helmet on his head.
Jacobs made a big change last year when he replaced the US Rana Reider’s coaching and moved to Florida. Part of the reason for that was the enormous attention and pressure brought by the Olympic victory at home.
– People recognized me after that and wanted to take pictures, but the most difficult thing was people’s expectations. I was expected to win every race and constantly set new records. But that is not possible.
He says that he lost himself for a while, which also influenced the decision to move.
– I didn’t recognize myself anymore, going to the track was not fun. I decided to change everything and rediscover the joy of sports.
Jacobs is the son of an Italian mother and a US soldier. He didn’t have anything to do with his father for years, but today it’s different. Moving to the USA has given me the opportunity to have more contact with relatives on my father’s side.
– There were a large number of them as guests at my wedding, and I try to keep in close contact with them. Family is important to me, says Jacobs.
Jacobs trains in a group coached by Reider, which includes, among others, a multiple Olympic medalist Andre De Grasse.
– It’s great, because in Rome I trained alone. In Poruka, you can get a couple of percent more power out of it. We go for long runs together and work out in the gym. We always have a little competition going on, which drives us forward.
Marcell Jacobs (in the foreground, second from the right) won the 100-meter EC gold in a perfect way.
Migration to the other side of the rapako has not been the first big change in Jacobs’ career. He was originally a long jumper who won the Italian championship in 2016. He switched disciplines in 2019.
– I had a lot of problems with my knees, and I couldn’t continue training as before. The change was not easy, but speed is the most important thing in the long jump as well. Of course, I still follow the long jump and maybe one day I will jump myself. Jacobs says.
His Instagram name is still Crazylongjumper.
– I also have it tattooed on my neck. Long jump is in my blood and I was born to jump, so I will never give up the name.
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I didn’t recognize myself anymore, going to the track was not fun. I decided to change everything and rediscover the joy of sports.
Jacobs is competed in the Paavo Nurmi Games twice before. He has fond memories of those times.
– I was here in 2019, which was my first year as a sprinter. I competed Justin Gatlin and Mike Rodgers against, and I was third. In 2020 I won here. I like the track and the atmosphere.
If everything goes well, maybe Cravont of Charleston the stadium record 9.95 he ran last year to be in jeopardy.
– I want to run hard, but above all I want to run well. And if I run with good technique, I also run hard.
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