“The situation hasn’t touched me so much; I know the sacrifices and blows I went through to get here” – Lamont Marcell Jacobs
By Caelus Murphy for Runner’s Tribe
Italy’s Olympic sprint champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs didn’t hide his delight and said that he smiled when he learned that British sprinter CJ Ujah had been provisionally suspended for violating the anti-doping rule.
“Having seen the investigation into Ujah, I would say that perhaps it’s better [for the British] to look closer to home before attacking others. It made me smile,” Jacobs claimed.
The British media, in particular, expressed surprise at Jacobs’ performance in Tokyo Games as he won the 100m, setting a European record of 9.80s in the final, and then going on to win gold in the 4x100m relay.
Jacobs, 26, became the first Italian to win the 100m Olympic gold medal, and yet he was regarded as the underdog before his victory.
Furthermore, Jacobs has also reacted to doping allegations following his stunning double gold medal victory at the Olympics.
He has taken the insinuations in his stride. “The situation hasn’t touched me so much; I know the sacrifices and blows I went through to get here,” Jacobs told Italian sports newspaper Tuttosport, adding that “Instead, I want to enjoy it 100 percent.”
Italian Olympic Committee president Giovanni Malagò called the accusations against Jacobs “unpleasant.”
Moreover, Unless Ujah can adequately explain how the substances got into his body, the Team GB men’s 4×100 relay team may lose their medals, with Canada receiving silver and China bronze.
If the suspension is upheld, it will be the largest doping scandal in British Olympic history, dimming Team GB’s 65 medal haul in Tokyo while Ujah is likely to face a four-year ban.
Meanwhile, Italy brought home a record 40 medals, including 10 gold. The record consists of Gianmarco Tamberi winning the high jump, Luigi Busà, who won gold in 75kg karate, and Antonella Palmisano, who won gold in the women’s 20km race walk.
