In a recent episode of the Ready Set Go podcast on YouTube, Jeff Demps joined Justin Gatlin and Rodney Green to discuss the latest happenings in the track scene. They discussed the 100 meters and how, within the past month, their entire outlook on the category had altered. However, the track luminaries expressed concern for reigning Olympic champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs.
The Italian runner has come up in numerous debates, and he has also been under fire from critics for failing to run a sub-10 in the majority of the events in the 2024 season. For any athlete, striving beyond the 10-second barrier is only the beginning, since the current world lead holder, Kishane Thompson, ran 9.77.
Justin Gatlin stated that this year’s sprint scenario is highly unpredictable and that even if the chances favor an athlete, anything may happen. Jeff Demps then poses a question, saying:
“You think this year, stronger than last year’s 100?”
“Oh, definitely!” exclaimed Rodney Green, as the Bahamian athlete expressed his strong interest in the category. He also discusses the recent performance of South African sprint prodigy Benjamin Richardson, who ran a 9.86 at the Résisprint International. This was quite unexpected from such an athlete with so little experience, and then he compares him to Jacobs’ previous 100-meter run, where he ran 10.08, as he states:
“No disrespect to Lamont, but these dudes out here they riding in cars, boy…10.08 ain’t gonna get you no love.”
Jeff agrees with Green’s statement, as he believes the current Olympic medal standard is 9.8. The four-time world champion then joins the discussion, stating that with so little time left for the coveted event, competitors like Lamont do not need to give their best in small races but may give their 80%.
However, Gatlin also states that the 10.08 performance was the Italian runner’s final training and that he needs to improve significantly before defending his 100-meter title in Paris. The four-time world champion also recalls that when Lamont Marcell Jacobs arrived at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, he was nowhere near contention, but everything changed the instant he stepped onto the big stage.
There is still plenty of time for the Italian runner to prove everyone wrong, and he will be striving for a faster performance than he did at the Paavo Nurmi Games.
Lamont Marcell Jacobs Reaching the Sub-10 Mark
Despite winning the European Championships, Lamont Marcell Jacobs’ 10.02 mark was criticized by some due to the lack of sub-10 runners. However, the athlete issued numerous social media statements, claiming that he is preparing for fresh challenges that he knows will come his way as the reigning Olympic 100-meter champion.
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Arriving at the Paavo Nurmi Games, the Italian runner was expected to compete as usual, but the fact that he won the event with a 9.92 surprised everyone. This sub-10 performance was his first of the 2024 season, and it showed that under pressure, the athlete can overcome the odds to win the gold medal for the second time.
