Marcell Jacobs Comes Close to Beating Usain Bolt’s Time as He Runs Second Fastest Ever 100m Race

Former Olympic champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs delivered a sensational performance at the Austrian Open in Eisenstadt on Wednesday, clocking a wind-assisted 9.67 seconds in the 100-meter final.

The Italian sprinter's time, the fastest of his career, will not be officially recognized due to an excessive tailwind of +4.1 m/s, which is more than double the legal limit. Despite this, the run stands as the second-fastest 100m ever recorded under any conditions.

Only world record holder Usain Bolt has posted a faster time, with his legal 9.58-second world record and a wind-aided 9.63.

After a slightly sluggish start, Jacobs found himself momentarily behind Great Britain's Romell Glave and 400m world record holder Wayde van Niekerk. However, the Italian quickly hit his top speed, surging past the field to win by a clear margin.

Glave secured second place with a time of 9.76, while South Africa's Van Niekerk finished third in 9.83. Japan's Yoshihide Kiryu (9.99), Germany's Owen Ansah (10.00), and Austria's Markus Fuchs (10.09) rounded out the top six.

Earlier in the day, Jacobs had signaled his impressive form by winning his heat with a wind-assisted time of 9.84 seconds.