Lamont Marcell Jacobs, the reigning 100m Olympic Gold medallist, said on Thursday that it would be a “tough challenge” to become world champion in the 100-metre event at this year’s World Athletics Championships in Budapest.
The 28-year-old, who is in prime form and holds the record as the reigning 100-metre European champion and also spearheaded Italy’s 4 x 100m relay gold medal winning team in Tokyo 2020, revealed he is fully focused on achieving his goals of becoming a world champion when the tournament kicks off in Central Europe.
“I know that it’s going to be a tough challenge,” Jacobs said. “But I’m still missing the only gold I’d like to add to my collection, especially before next year’s Olympic Games and getting started to win it again.
“It’s been a long, tough year, but now I’m here 100 per cent committed.
“I just want to find a good feeling again with the track and with myself and just make the best of it and get the best results I can.”
Jacob stunned the world in Japan when he beat race favourite, America’s Fred Kerly, to the finishing line in a personal best time of 9.80 seconds to become Italy’s first-ever 100-metre Olympic gold medallist.
“Of course, it was something very special to bring it back to Europe and it created a lot of discussion.”
I’m very happy that I managed to give Italy a gold medal which has never been done before over 100 metres.
“It was an incredible experience because it gave me trust, it gave me self-confidence, it gave me consistency and I’m really, really happy that I managed to adjust, to bring the 100 metres gold medal to the other side of the Atlantic.”
Jacobs will be hoping to put behind him the woes of his participation in the last two World Championships in 2019 (Doha) and 2022 (Eugene) when the race kicks off on the tracks in Budapest, Hungary.
The 19th edition of the World Athletics Championships will begin this Saturday, August 19 and run until Sunday, August 27.
YOU CAN CATCH ALL THE ACTION FROM THE WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS LIVE HERE ON AFROSPORT FREE TV CHANNEL 730 OR STREAM ON VIDIVU FROM THIS SATURDAY, AUGUST 19.
