Online Reporter
MARCELL Jacobs, the surprise Tokyo Olympics 100 metres champion, said on Wednesday he could prolong his career until the 2028 Los Angeles Games if he manages to rediscover “that spark”.
“If I were ever to find that spark again – the one I’m trying at all costs to re-light – I’d like to have a clear situation that would allow me to train at 100 per cent,” Jacobs, 31, told Sky Sport Italia.
“And in that case, it wouldn’t be for just one year, but at least three. The goal would become Los Angeles 2028,” the Italian added.
Since his Olympic triumph in 2021, Jacobs has suffered a series of injuries and slipped down the world rankings, although he did qualify for the 100m Olympic final in Paris last year, finishing fifth in a time of 9.85sec.
He also won the European 100m title in 2022 and 2024 but at the world championships in Tokyo in September, he was eliminated in the semi-finals.
Meanwhile, World Athletics has ditched a reform to the long jump that would have replaced the traditional board behind which jumps must be made.
The concept of a new long jump “takeoff zone” whereby the distance of the jump would be measured using cameras from where the foot left the ground in a 40-centimetre zone had been met with widespread criticism from athletes.
The idea behind the reform was that it would significantly reduce the risk of invalid jumps, but critics argued it removed the essential technical risk of long jump: correctly judging the sprint down the runway before hitting the fixed board.
“World Athletics has listened to its athletes and has decided to put the testing of a new proposed takeoff zone for horizontal jumps on hold indefinitely,” a spokesperson for track and field’s governing body told AFP.
“While the format tested well with fans and spectators, there was little support for the takeoff zone among athletes, who are our key stakeholders.
“Takeoff zones may be considered for completely new and different event types in the future but nothing is in formal planning at this point.” – AFP Sport
