Italy (AFP)
Italian sprinter Marcel Jacobs, the Tokyo Olympic champion in the 100m race last summer, made a successful return to competitions after winning the same distance at the Savona meet in his country.
Jacobs, 27, crossed the finish line in 10.04 seconds with the help of wind in the final in front of a small crowd in the modest encounter on the Italian coast, having achieved 9.99s in qualifying earlier on the same race day.
Jacobs, who also crowned the gold in the 4 times 100m relay with the Italian team in Tokyo, was scheduled to compete in Nairobi last weekend and face to face with American Fred Curley, the silver medalist in the 100m at the Tokyo Olympics.
However, he withdrew due to a stomachache, which postponed his return to a modest meeting under the sun in Italy.
The number of people did not exceed 100 when Jacobs raced on the track of the Centro Sportivo Fontanasa complex in the mountains overlooking the beach city surrounded by green spaces.
After crossing the finish line, he appeared with his hand on his lower back and demanded the intervention of a physical therapist.
Speaking after the win, he told Rai Sport: “I thought I’d run better, even from a technical point of view. It takes a bit of work, but it’s only the first race of the year, and there’s still plenty of time before the world championships in Dubai. Eugene in Oregon next July.