Just three years ago, Marcell Jacobs, a long jumper turned sprinter, took down a few heavy-hitters as he won Olympic Gold in the 100m in a quiet Tokyo stadium.

Since running the 13th fastest-time in world history, Jacobs has had his ups and downs, but at the end of the day, he's still the defending champ.

Here are three things to know about the 2020 Olympic gold medalist.

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Marcell Jacobs Was A Long Jumper Before Turning To Sprints

Though rather unconventional, Jacobs found his path to the track after spending a lot of time on the runway.

Officially making the switch in 2019, Jacobs jumped in pretty quickly, competing all over the world, from the European Championships to the World Championships.

His season debut at the time was a brisk 10.03, which would hold on to be his fastest result out of his 14 races.

Gradually, Jacobs found his stride, capstoned by his greatest-ever performance, his gold-winning run in Tokyo in 2021.

Marcell Jacobs Is A Two-Time Olympic Gold Medalist

His dominating performance against a historically fast field saw him get out of the blocks a tad slow, but before 50m, he was all even with Fred Kerley, one of the favorites heading into Tokyo.

After holding onto the lead the rest of the way, Jacobs became the first Italian man to ever win gold in the event, running a 2021 world lead and personal best.

Jacobs didn't just win gold on his own, but alongside his Italian teammates who held off both Canada and China in the 4x100m final.

Lorenzo Patta, Filippo Tortu and Eseosa Desalu joined Jacobs in their gold medal celebration, as the quartet clocked the second-fastest time in European history.

Marcell Jacobs Is The Best European Sprinter In History

Being the best athlete in Europe isn't just a statistic, it's a title. Every two years, Europe's best track & field athletes converge on the respective host site as they go head-to-head with a European title on the line.

Jacobs, who recently won another European title in the 2024 edition, going 10.02 as he led a 1-2 finish with teammate Chituru Ali, who was runner-up in 10.05.

Jacobs also won gold in 2022, and added a 4x100m title for Italy this year in edition to his 100m crown.

When Are The Paris 2024 Olympic Games?

The Olympics begin on July 26 and end on August 11. The track and field events will begin on Aug. 1. 

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