No way. A year after his triumph at the Tokyo Olympics, Marcell Jacobs will not run the 100m semifinal at the Eugene World Championships. Physical problems for the blue who had qualified for the semifinals that are played on the Italian night.
The forfeit made official by the Federatletica with the diffusion in a note of the diagnosis by the Federal Doctor, Professor Andrea Billi: “The athlete Marcell Jacobs, during yesterday’s 100-meter battery, accused a contracture of the great adductor of the right thigh which, however, allowed him to conclude the performance. Immediately after the race, a therapy protocol was set up which led to immediate muscle relaxation. In the clinical tests conducted this morning, the muscle contracture, albeit to a lesser extent, remained present, so it was decided to perform static and dynamic ultrasound examinations to evaluate the reaction of the muscle component. The examination showed no muscle lesions, but showed a contraction of a zone of local regional blood stasis in the great adductor of the right thigh. Since this is a clinical picture that can put muscle integrity at risk and lead to injuries, it was decided not to allow participation in tonight’s race ».
He has lost his smile but Marcell Jacobs seems calm a few minutes after the announcement of the forfeit. «A painful choice. I am forced to stop the race despite the fact that he wanted in every way to be here in Eugene and confront my opponents », the first words of the Olympic champion after the renunciation of the semifinal of the 100 meters at the World Championships. “There is nothing I love more than racing and competing. I am a fighter and it is with this spirit that I decided not to miss the appointment with the World Cup. But now, in order not to risk a more serious injury, I have to postpone the comparison to the next important races, after a full recovery ».
Jacobs says goodbye to Eugene but does so by launching a new challenge: “I make this promise to the Italians and my fans: I will do my best to keep you dreaming”.