Usain Bolt would not recognize what went down on the Olympic track he used to own.
On the night of the 100-meter gold medal race that once belonged to the Jamaican superstar, a Texas-born Italian with a deeper history in long jumping than outdoor sprints won the race that has long defined Olympic royalty.
At the Tokyo Olympics, Marcell Jacobs is The World’s Fastest Man.
The Italian crossed the line in 9.8 seconds Sunday night, the first medal ever for the country in the 100 meters. Pietro Mennea won the 200 in 1980 and Livio Berruti won that race at the 1960 Games in Rome.
Even in a race with no clear favorites — American Ronnie Baker was a candidate and China’s Su Bingtain ran a shocking 9.83 in the semis — Jacobs was a surprise.
Jacobs topped America’s Fred Kerley and Canada’s Andre DeGrasse to take the spot Bolt had commandeered since 2008.
Source: AP
