Lamont Marcell Jacobs

Lamont Marcell Jacobs Jr. was born on September 26, 1994, in El Paso, Texas, to an Italian mother and an African American serviceman. At three weeks old, he moved to Desenzano del Garda, Italy, with his mother after his father was transferred. Jacobs initially pursued basketball and football, where his speed was noted by a football coach, leading him to begin competing in athletics at age ten. He initially focused on long jump, winning the Italian Athletics Championships in long jump in 2016. In 2017, he achieved a personal best of 8.07 meters in long jump indoors.

In 2019, Jacobs transitioned his focus exclusively to sprinting due to recurring injuries in long jump. That same year, he lowered his 100 meters personal best to 10.03 seconds. His progression continued in 2021 when he won the 60 meters European title at the European Athletics Indoor Championships, setting a new national record of 6.47 seconds. Later that year, he set an Italian record in the 100 meters with a time of 9.95 seconds. Jacobs’ commitment to sprinting led to his participation in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Jacobs made history by winning the gold medal in the 100 meters with a time of 9.80 seconds, setting a new European record and becoming the first Italian to win this event. He further contributed to Italy’s success by being a member of the gold medal-winning 4×100 meters relay team, which also set a new Italian record of 37.50 seconds. His achievements continued in 2022, securing the 60 meters World Indoor Champion title with a European record of 6.41 seconds, and winning the 100 meters European Championship with a time of 9.95 seconds. In 2024, he once again claimed the 100 meters European Championship and contributed to another gold in the 4×100 meters relay.