Marcel Jacobs parts ways with his coach less than a year to the Olympic Games

Olympic 100m champion Marcel Jacobs has parted ways with his coach Paolo Camossi less than a year before the Olympic Games in 2024.

The tactician guided Jacobs to take the delayed 2020 Olympic title in the 100m but Jacobs will not be working with him as he gears up to defend his Olympic title. He will also be hoping to lead his team to back-to-back victory in the 4x100m relay.

In an interview with the Gazzetta Dello Sport, Jacobs said: “We wrote Italian and world athletics history, but life has different stages and we’ve realised that it’s time to go our separate ways.

I realised that I needed to completely change things... I want to be in a new place, find athletes who can train with me, push me, and above help me with the more difficult work of winter training.”

With the former indoor triple jump world champion, Jacobs switched from the long jump to sprinting full time in 2019 and in May 2021 became just the second Italian to break the 10-second barrier in the 100m.

That summer he made history with his two Olympic golds, and since then he has been crowned world indoor 60m champion and European champion in the 100m despite the last two seasons being hampered by frequent muscular problems.

Jacobs said that he has not decided on his new coach but that he will be leaving Rome where he has been based.

He has competed in four 100m races this season, failing to clock a sub-10 in all four. He has also failed to win any 100m race this season.

“I’m looking at every option. I have a lot of ideas but I need to put them into action. It’s a new start to rediscover the Marcell of Tokyo,” he added.