Marcell Jacobs: “I wanted to drop everything.”

Marcell Jacobs: "I wanted to quit everything"

Marcell Jacobs has been thinking about retirement, but now he is relaunching. In an interview with Sportmediaset, the Italian sprinter gold medalist in the 100 meters at Tokyo 2021 revealed that he was one step away from a farewell after recent injuries undermined his preparation.

"There’è was a moment when I had a blackout, where I didn’t even understand what I should do. The most difficult part è was the first month becauseé you didn’t understand what the injury was. There are people who always feel entitled to have their say thinking that none of this comes to us, when this is è the most difficult part: trying to extricate yourself from everything, not to see these things even though then è it is difficult to pretend that they do not exist".

"I tried to reset, I did a week where I really didné want to quit everything becauseé I was not well. Instead then, overnight, I realized that I couldn’t give up like that, I had to keep pushing becauseé I knew very well that this was not me and I knew that I could come back and be even better than before".

Jacobs claims his strength: "People talk but Tokyo was not an episode, it was an event that I built up over years of work, hardships, injuries, issues and disappointments. Lè in Tokyo I was fine, mentally and physically, I had no problems and I was able to be myself".

On American criticism: "It’s funny that they always mention me, that they always ask them a question about me becauseé I’m the one who won the Olympics after Bolt and I’m the one who won the medal in the 100 meters. Both Carnes last year and Lyles this year won but with a higher time than mine in Tokyo, so, è it is normal that they always want to put me in the middle, or try to belittle me. But they know very well that when I am in shape, they risk".