Reigning Men’s 100m Olympic champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs has publicly reacted to criticism received over his underwhelming season thus far with a tell-all message.
In a lengthy social media post on Wednesday, Jacobs seemingly gave full disclosure about his physical struggles and issues he has faced that hampered his preparations and performance this season.
“I have been wanting to write something for some time, but I have never been able to find the right words. Now, however, I feel a strong need to tell you how I feel, it is only fair that you know. I started the outdoor season and unfortunately, it did not go the way I wanted. Yet, despite the fact that I had been out of action for almost a month because of my physical problem, despite the fact that I knew I was in no way ready to achieve the results we all hoped for, I chose to take the field anyway, knowing full well that probably many people would not understand that the result of that race was not the goal I was aiming for.”
Jacobs of course referring to his seventh-place finish at the Paris Diamond League where he officially opened his season after withdrawing from two previous meetings, due to injury.
“It was important for me to get back on track. It was exciting to feel the joy bursting in my chest when I entered the stadium, to feel the adrenaline in my body, to feel the warmth of the crowd and to see the stares of my opponents. How much I missed it! I felt good on the starting blocks and took off like I hadn’t in a long time, but then my legs didn’t sustain that effort until the end, lacked the necessary training, and you know the result.”
Jacobs has come under a series of heavy criticisms over the last month over his lack of appearances – which some have described as ducking competition.
However, the Italian seemed to have reached a breaking point.
“And unfailing came the criticism, the attacks, the mockery of those who do not know or even imagine how complicated the life of a professional athlete can be. In an instant all the achievements we had made seemed to be worthless. And I am very sorry because it would be nice if in such complicated moments, I could be supported.”
A seemingly frustrated Jacobs continued; “But I don’t want to let this affect me and make decisions that are not the right ones for me. I want to remind you that I am a human being and I push my body to give 110 percent all the time, and I sweat, toil and spit blood every single day of my life to achieve really challenging goals. I have so many fears, but I am aware of all the fears, so many, that I have faced and overcome.”
However, his message ended on an optimistic note of rebounding better despite setbacks and criticism.
Before concluding, he added “.. I will be reborn again, overcoming the obstacles that life is putting in front of me again. I will succeed, because I will never let anything or anyone stop me from dreaming and striving to achieve my goals!”
“See you soon and I hope to find you once again by my side.”
Jacobs became the first Italian man to win the Olympic gold medal in the 100m in the 2021 Tokyo Games and the first man to lift the title since the retirement of Usain Bolt.
He has a personal record of 9.80s which was set in the Olympic finals.
