Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs opens up about 2023 track struggles

Lamont Marcell Jacobs, the reigning Olympic champion seems unable to catch a break since pulling out of the 2022 Kip Keino Classic after a suspected case of food poisoning.

His latest withdrawal is from the European Team Championships set for from 23 to 25 June after being diagnosed with what is reported as a "condition of perineural inflammation with vascular stasis of the sciatic emergency at the level of the ischial foramen of the right thigh."

The long jumper turned sprinter who made his 2023 Diamond League debut in Paris after withdrawing form Rabat and Florence legs of the series has taken to social media to explain his decision to compete in France despite not being ready.

“Started the outdoor season and unfortunately it didn't go the way I wanted. Yet, despite being still for almost a month because of my physical problem, despite knowing that I was in no way ready to achieve the results we all hoped for, I chose to go to the field anyway, knowing well that many probably wouldn't have understood that it wasn't the Result of that race, the objective I had set for myself. (sic),” he wrote on Instagram.

The 2022 60m world champion says that it was important for him 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 audience and to see the looks of the opponents,” his touching statement continues.

“I felt good on the starting blocks and started as I hadn't done it for a long time, but then my legs didn't support that effort until the end, I needed the training and you know the result.”

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The US-born Italian who in 2019 decided to concentrate on sprints, ditching long jump citing recurring injuries, having missed the Rio Olympics due to a hamstring injury, as part of his reason for making the switch, took issue with his critics in the post.

Starting his message off with a confession that he had wanted to write ‘something’ for some time now, but hadn’t been able to find the right words and did not feel strong to say what he felt, he said all he needed was support, promising to make a strong comeback.

“And unmissable (after the Paris race) came the criticism, the attacks, the mockery of those who don't know and don't even imagine how complicated the life of a professional athlete can be.

In an instant all the achievements seemed to be worthless. And I am very sorry, because it would be nice if in such difficult times I could be supported. But I don't want to be conditioned by it all and make decisions that aren't right for me.

I want to remind you that I am a human being and I push my body to give 110% continuously, and sweat, toil and spit blood every single day of my life to achieve really challenging goals. I have many fears, but I am aware of all of them, many, that I have faced and overcome. And I will be born again, overcoming the obstacles life is throwing in my way 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 again by my side. Lamont Marcell Jacobs. (sic),” he signed off.