Marcell Jacobs responds to criticism
The words of Marcell Jacobs
“I’m here to have fun and finally start my season. We’re fine now, if we’re in Paris it’s because we’re ready to compete and put ourselves on the line.” Marcell Jacobs said this at the official press conference of the Paris Meeting scheduled for tomorrow night at Charlety Stadium, the fourth stop of the Wanda Diamond League. The Olympic champion is among the 100-meter entrants (10:12 p.m.) along with 200 world gold medalist Noah Lyles (USA), Kenyan Ferdinand Omanyala, and American Ronnie Baker. Directed on Rai 3 and Sky Sport Arena from 9 to 11 p.m. “It’s the first race, which was actually supposed to be the third,” Jacobs recalls, “we told ourselves that the problems of the past seasons should not be repeated, and that first of all there had to be ‘continuity’ at the physical level. The most important thing is to be physically and mentally well-I wanted to be sure to race without risking anything and having to stop the season.”
“Nervous? No, calm – continued the Garda sprinter of the Fiamme Oro – When I saw the others competing, I knew that one lane was mine, and it was not easy. But this led me to be stronger and stronger and gave me a lot of energy and even more desire to dedicate myself to what I do. All of my opponents tomorrow have already raced, I’m the only one who doesn’t have the time yet this year: it will be an incentive for me.” To those who ask about his absences, even recent ones, he replies confidently, “I don’t train not to compete or because I have nothing to do. I do everything for a very specific reason. My idea was to do the first three races (Rabat, Florence, Paris, ed.), then you know that sport leads you to make hard decisions and for me it was not easy to give up the first two. Like when you are in the car, it is useless to look at the rearview mirror, you have to look at the windshield to see what is in front.”
Inevitable question about social ‘sparks’ with world champion Fred Kerley: “I think it creates ‘hype,’ people like to see these challenges, it’s something that gets people talking about a sport that needs visibility. On Instagram, Kerley wrote to me that he hopes I am well and can come back 100 percent, he is happy to see me compete.” And on the criticism he has received for his waivers, he does not flinch: “It’s normal that others may talk more than they should, but it’s part of the game, it’s okay for them to do so-I speak with the results. These things amuse me, it means that everyone wants to try to beat me and they think I’m a strong athlete. That’s what’s important.”
In a little more than a year, it will be Paris itself that will host the Olympic Games where Jacobs will show up with the double gold medal from Tokyo around his neck: “I’m so happy to be here, my big goal in 2024 is to reconfirm the results of Tokyo: it’s going to be a busy year and a half, with a World Championship in between, the only medal I’m missing. Everything I do this season is to go for the gold in Budapest. That will be the first step toward the Olympics.”
