ROME (AFP) – Olympic Games 100m champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs announced on Thursday (Aug 12) on his Instagram account that he will not run again until 2022.
In response to a fan during a social media interaction, who asked the Italian when his next appearance on the track would be, he replied: “2022”.
Almost unknown a year ago, the Texas-born Italian sprinter claimed a shock triumph in the 100m at the Tokyo Olympics as well as gold in the 4x100m relay.
His stunning victory was achieved in a European record of 9.80sec.
The 26-year-old was scheduled to next run on Aug 21 at the Eugene Diamond League meet in the United States.
After that, he was to appear on Sept 3 in Brussels and on Sept 9 in Zurich for the season-ending Diamond League Finals.
After his triumphant return to Italy from Tokyo on Monday, where he was greeted as a national hero, Jacobs resumed training.
However, Italian media said he immediately called a halt after a fall blamed on “the accumulated fatigue of the Olympics as well as a knee problem,” reported Italian daily, Il Corriere della Sera.