The Italian Marcel Jacobs100-meter Olympic champion at Tokyo 2020, faced criticism on Wednesday after his seventh-place finish at the Diamond League in Paris and after announcing he would miss the European team tournaments in Poland due to a fresh injury.
As the Italian Athletics Federation (FIDAL) announced on Tuesday, Jacobs will not participate in the European Team Games scheduled for the weekend of June 23-25 in Chorzow (Poland) due to a problem with his right hamstring.
The goal of the Olympic champion is to reach the most important stage of the recovered season, scheduled for the second half of August, when the World Championships will be held in Budapest (Hungary).
The Italian sprinter returned to competition on Friday at the Diamond League meeting in Paris, where he finished seventh in the 100-meter race, won by the American Noah Lyles, something that caused criticism of the athlete through social networks .
“I feel a great need to tell you how I feel: it’s only fair you know. I started the season outdoors and it wasn’t the way I wanted it to be. However, despite the fact that I’ve been out for almost a month due to my physical problem and that I know I’m not ready to achieve the results we all hope for, I decided to go out on a path that I know many probably don’t understand it’s people my goal is not the result of that race”he explained on his Instagram account.
“For me, it’s important to get back on track. It was great to feel the joy that burst in my chest when I entered the stadium, I could feel the adrenaline in my body, I could feel the warmth of the people and see the looks of my opponents. How I missed him!” he added.
In fact, Jacobs felt very good at the start, but his legs “did not sustain that effort until the end”: “I lacked the necessary training and you know the result (7th)”.
Back then it was “the criticism, the attacks, the ridicule of those who don’t know and don’t even think about how complicated the life of a professional athlete is.”
“It’s like all the results I’ve achieved are worthless. And I’m very sorry, because it would be better if they support me in these difficult moments. But I don’t want it to affect me and make decisions that are not right for me. I want to remind you that I am human and that I force my body to give 110% all the time.”
And despite everything, after a difficult year far from his best level, which allowed him to fly to Tokyo 2020, Jacobs is confident of regaining his best level.
“I will be reborn, I will once again overcome the obstacles that life throws at me. I will succeed, because I will never let anything or anyone stop me from dreaming and striving to achieve my goals. I hope to find you by my side again.” he said.
Source: La Verdad
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