The Olympic champion and European record holder in the 100 meters, the Italian Marcell Jacobs, assured Wednesday that he “will be reborn (t)”, regretting the “criticism” aroused by his start to the season weighed down by persistent sciatica. “I started the season outdoors and unfortunately it didn’t go the way I wanted,” writes the 28-year-old Italian sprinter in a long post on Instagram where he wants to “tell how (he feels)” .
The Italian Federation announced on Tuesday that he would not participate in the European Athletics Team Championship (June 20-25 in Poland) because of his lower back pain.
Embarrassed by persistent sciatica, Jacobs had already had to give up his first two 100m meetings, in Rabat (May 28) then in Florence (June 2). Last Friday, the reigning Olympic champion in the 100m and 4x100m was finally able to make his comeback during the Diamond League stage in Paris. But he could only finish 7th with a time of 10 sec 21/100 (wind of -0.9 m/s), far from his European record of 9 sec 80/100.
“It was important for me to get back on track. I felt good in the starting blocks and I left like I hadn’t done for a long time, but then the legs did not support this effort until the end, the necessary training was missing”, describes- he about his Parisian race.
“And the criticisms inevitably arrived, the attacks, the mockery (…). In an instant, it seemed that all the good results were worth nothing,” said Jacobs, whose last season had already been disrupted by muscle injuries. “I want to remind you that I am a human being and I continually push my body to 110% (…). I will be reborn, overcoming the obstacles that life puts in my way again, ”promises the Italian star in conclusion, whose objective is now to get back in shape for the World Championships in Budapest (August 19-27).
