Personal Best Improved by 0.15 Seconds for Gold Medal
"Feels Like a Dream... Can't Believe It"
Usain Bolt (Jamaica) has retired, and a new star has emerged in the world of sprinting. It is Italy's Marcell Jacobs (27). On the 1st, at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics held at the Tokyo Olympic Stadium in Japan, he was the first to cross the finish line in the men's 100m final with a time of 9.80 seconds. He claimed the gold medal by improving his personal best of 9.95 seconds by as much as 0.15 seconds.
The 9.80 seconds is not only a record for Italy but also a new European record. Jacobs set a personal best and Italian record of 9.94 seconds in the heats the day before. The record-breaking streak did not stop there. In the semifinals that day, he finished the race in 9.84 seconds, 0.10 seconds faster than before, and continued his astonishing sprint in the final.
This is the first time an Italian athlete has reached the top in the Olympic 100m. It is also the first time in 29 years since European athlete Linford Christie (UK) at the 1992 Barcelona Games. After the race, Jacobs said, "It feels like I'm dreaming." He added, "I have dreamed of winning an Olympic gold medal since I was a child, but I can't believe I actually did it."
The silver medal went to the United States' Fred Kerley, who crossed the finish line in 9.84 seconds. The bronze medal was claimed by Canada's Andre De Grasse, who finished the race in 9.89 seconds. China's Su Bingtian, who passed the semifinals in first place with an Asian record of 9.83 seconds, finished 6th with a time of 9.98 seconds.
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