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Italian Jacobs takes surprising gold in Olympic 100

TOKYO (AP) — The 100 meters at the Olympics is the event that turns sprinters into kings: Jesse Owens, Carl Lewis, Usain Bolt. On one of the most unusual nights this sport has ever seen, fans, experts, and even the racers themselves needed a lineup card.

The race that has long defined Olympic royalty went to a Texas-born Italian who hadn’t cracked 10 seconds in a 100 until this year. He’s a 26-year-old whose best days before this came in the long jump. He’s a man who even the runner in the lane next to him didn’t really know.

At the Tokyo Olympics, Marcell Jacobs is The World’s Fastest Man.

“I think I need four or five years to realize and understand what’s happening,“Jacobs said.

The Italian crossed the line in 9.8 seconds Sunday night to capture the first 100-meter medal ever for the country better known for its soccer prowess. Pietro Mennea won the 200 at the 1980 Olympics in Moscow and Livio Berruti won that race at the 1960 Games in Rome.

Even in a race with no clear favorites — American Ronnie Baker was a candidate and China’s Su Bingtain ran a shocking 9.83 in the semis — Jacobs came from nowhere.

He topped America’s Fred Kerley, a 400-meter runner who moved down in distance because he saw a medal chance here, and Canada’s Andre DeGrasse, who adds another 100-meter bronze to the one he won Rio.

Kerley finished second in 9.84 and DeGrasse was next at 9.89.

“I really don’t know anything about him,” Kerley said of the new gold medalist. “He did a fantastic job.”

Jacobs’ path was made that much clearer because of who wasn’t in the race. The reigning world champion, Christian Coleman, is serving a ban for missed doping tests. The world leader in 2021 and the favorite to win the gold, Trayvon Bromell, didn’t make it out of the semifinals.

Bolt, who has commandeered the Olympic and every other sprint stage since 2008, is long gone.

He was a sure thing in all nine Olympic sprints he ran since the Beijing Games — a stretch of dominance that redefined track and field, but also left a gaping hole in the sport when he called it a career.

“He changed athletics forever,“Jacobs said. “I’m the one who won the Olympics after him. That’s unbelievable. But drawing comparisons, I don’t think it’s the time now.” Bolt’s world record is 9.58. Before Sunday, Jacobs’ personal best was 9.95.

“I mean, 9.8 from the Italian guy?” DeGrasse said. “I didn’t expect that. I thought my main competition would be the Americans.” Nope. The Italians.

Perhaps the only person at the track who really knew the new champ was the man who hugged him after he crossed the finish line. That was Gianmarco Tamberi, the Italian high jumper who tied Qatari’s Mutaz Essa Barshim for gold.

Tamberi and Barshim ended their evening-long jump-fest in a dead heat — a rare result that appeared headed for a jump-off to decide gold and sliver. But after huddling with an official who told them two gold medals were possible, Barshim agreed to call it a tie for first. Bedlam ensued.

Barshim ran up to the stands to celebrate. Tamberi covered his face with his hands and rolled on the ground. “I was in ecstasy,” he said. He was clearly a man looking for someone to hug.

He found just the person a few minutes later when Jacobs, of all people, crossed the line first. Tamberi

leaped into the broad-chested sprinter’s arms and curled his own arm around Jacobs’ bald head.

“My heart was exploding,” Tamberi said.

Only a night before, they’d been sitting in Jacobs’ tiny room in the Olympic village playing video games.

“And we said, ‘Can you imagine if we win?”“Jacobs said. “(We said) ‘No, no, no. It’s impossible. Don’t think this.’“Theirs was one of many beautiful moments on a most unusual Day 3 of the Olympic track meet. Another highlight came from Venezuelan Yulimar Rojas’ toppling of a 26-year-old world record in the triple jump. Her new mark is 51 feet, 5 inches (15.67 meters).

Other vignettes didn’t involve medals.

Luca Kozak tripped on a hurdle and looked over three lanes to see a Jamaican opponent, Yanique Thompson, had suffered the same fate. Kozak helped her back to her feet.

Later, in the men’s 800 semifinals, American Isaiah Jewett got tangled up with Botswana’s Nijel Amos and the two went tumbling to the ground. They helped each other up and jogged slowly together toward the finish line.

Sports

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2021-08-03T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-08-03T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://ktimes.pressreader.com/article/282119229586502

The Korea Times Co.