The Italian athlete Lamont Marcell Jacobs scripted history at the ongoing 2020 Tokyo Olympics after he reached the finish line in 9.8 seconds Sunday night and achieved the Gold Medal in the Men’s 100m event. This also marked the first medal ever for the country in the event.
Lamont Marcell Jacobs becomes The World’s Fastest Man, setting a world record
The Texas-born Italian with a rich history in long jumping, Lamont Marcell Jacobs seems to be the successor of Usain Bolt who owned the tracks previously. The Italian achieved a great feat at the Games and the blistering run earned him the Gold at the high-profile tournament. He became the first Italian to achieve the feat in 100m race while Pietro Mennea won the 200m in 1980 and Livio Berruti won that race at the 1960 Games in Rome.
Jacobs outworked America’s Fred Kerley and Canada’s Andre DeGrasse to take the spot that Bolt had owned since 2008.
Lamont Marcell Jacobs for the GOLD in the men's 100m final. Fred Kerley brings home the silver. #TokyoOlympics pic.twitter.com/fxvMGjIYHU
— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) August 1, 2021
Jacobs’ victory came only moments after his countryman, Gianmarco Tamberi, tied Qatari high jumper Mutaz Essa Barshim for gold in the high jump. He went on to celebrate with the new Gold Medalist. He celebrated by jumping into the sprinter’s arms.
Following Lamont Marcell Jacobs’ win, Kerley said, “I really don’t know anything about. “He did a fantastic job.”
Earlier, Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela broke a 26-year-old world record in the triple jump with a leap of 51 feet, 5 inches (15.67 meters).
Who is Lamont Marcell Jacobs?
Jacobs was born in El Paso, Texas to his parents, an American father, and an Italian mother. He moved to Italy as a young boy when the U.S. military transferred his father to South Korea. He was a long-jump specialist for years, and his biggest major running success came in an indoor 60-meter title at European champions earlier this year.
His personal best was an Italian record, 9.95 seconds which he had set in May. It was the first time he had broken 10 seconds. Now, he’s on the list with the likes of Jesse Owens, Carl Lewis, and Bolt as the Olympic 100-meter champion.