STOCKHOLM, Sweden (June 30) — Olympic sprint champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs pulled out of the men’s 100 meters at the 2022 Wanda Diamond League meeting in Stockholm.
The Tokyo champion who has been bothered by a muscle problem in his back, reportedly had a scan on Wednesday night after feeling some discomfort in his gluteal muscles and his team decided not to allow him to race in the Swedish capital as a precaution.
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Jacobs was expected to be among the featured athletes in Stockholm in the last Diamond League meeting before the World Athletics Championships, but the Italian wasn’t prepared to take any unnecessary chances with his sights well set on the bigger stage in Oregon in two weeks.
The 27-year-old who clocked 10.12 seconds to win his fifth Italian 100m title last week, has run sparingly this season and has already pulled out of Diamond League meetings in Eugene, Rome and Oslo.
“After feeling some pain yesterday during the training session and after being under the supervision of his personal medical staff they have taken the decision not to let him take any risk,” the Meet organisers said.
Jacobs’ coach Paolo Camossi then added added: “Since yesterday, after training, Marcell has felt discomfort in his buttock (gluteal muscles).
“This morning we assessed the situation, but his body’s giving signs of discomfort. Fifteen days away from the worlds, we couldn’t take the risk to run this evening.”
The Italian double Olympic champion in the 100m and 4x100m will now return to his training base to continue treatment and prepare for the worlds.
In Jacob’s absence, Olympic finalist Akani Simbine of South Africa won the men’s 100m with a season best time of 10.02 seconds, running into a slight -0.5 m/s headwind.
Great Britain’s Reece Prescod ran 10.15 for second place with Frenchman Jimmy Vicaut clocking 10.19 for third place.
“I came for the victory so I am happy with the win, it’s an important victory before the World Championships. Winning here with a SB means that everything we do is working,” said Simbine, a finalist at the Tokyo Games last summer.
“It’s great for the confidence. I am looking forward to Oregon. There I want to be the best I can and represent Africa and South Africa.
“I want to put them on the podium and do great for them. I just need to get a little sharper before the Worlds. We will do the last adjustments during the training camp in San Diego,” he added.
American champion and the Olympic silver medalist, Fred Kerley is the world leader in 2022 with a blistering time of 9.76 seconds, set in the semi-finals at the 2022 USATF Outdoor Championships this past weekend.
