Lamont Marcell Jacobs decides to end his season early

When Tokyo 2020 100m gold medallist Lamont Marcell Jacobs of Italy was asked on Instagram when his next appearance on the track would be, he replied to fans, “2022.” After much speculation over whether he would race at the Prefontaine Classic on Aug. 21 in Eugene, Ore., Jacobs announced that he is shutting down his season and will not be racing again until next year. (Jacobs, who was relatively unknown a year ago, shocked the world at the Tokyo Olympics when he clocked a European record of 9.80 to win gold in the men’s 100m, as well as gold in the 4x100m relay.)

Italy’s Lamont Marcell Jacobs claims shock 100m gold to succeed Usain Bolt as world’s fastest man https://t.co/SyCkG4iYtl

— Italy4Real (@Italy4Real) August 3, 2021

After achieving Olympic glory, Jacobs was scheduled to run twice on the Diamond League circuit. Since his return to Italy, where he was greeted as a national hero, he has resumed training but claims he is fatigued from the Olympic Games. 

RELATED: De Grasse wins bronze in 9.89, Italy’s Jacobs takes gold in 100m final

Post-games, pundits have speculated about how Jacobs, a former long jumper, improved his times so quickly. British journalists in Tokyo reported in The Times on Aug. 7 that the sports nutritionist Jacobs worked with, Giacomo Spazzini, had been investigated last year for illegal steroid distribution. (The investigation by Milan authorities was dubbed “Operation Muscle Bound.”) When they questioned Jacobs about it, he claimed to have severed ties with Spazzini last March, when the investigation began. But on June 24, Spazzini posted a photo of himself with Jacobs on Instagram, trumpeting the athlete’s success, only five weeks before the Games. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CQgYCh8hWzg/

“Jacobs does not want to show up to Diamond League meets in less than top form, and it is for this reason that his management team has decided to put a halt on his track season,” Italian media reports.

RELATED: British 4×100 relay silver medallist under investigation for breaching anti-doping rules