Marcell Jacobs, the Olympic 100m champion, is flying under the radar as he prepares for the Paris Games.
What happened to Marcell Jacobs?
Jacobs has had three injury-filled years since his surprise win in Tokyo, with a series of physical issues that led him to drop his longtime coach Paolo Camossi.
He withdrew from the semifinals at the 2022 worlds with an injured thigh muscle and didn't qualify for the final at worlds last year.
Why the low profile for Marcell Jacobs?
The Texas-born Italian is almost as big of a mystery now as he was before his Olympic win, with American sprinter Noah Lyles garnering the spotlight after sweeping three golds at last year's world championships.
Jacobs hasn't won all that much over the past two years, but he's looking to change that with his new coach Rana Reider.
Jacobs has run 10.11 seconds in Jacksonville, Florida on April 27, 10.07 in Rome on May 18, 10.19 in Ostrava, Czech Republic, on May 28, and 10.03 in Oslo, Norway, on May 30.
What's next for Marcell Jacobs?
Jacobs is working with an elite group of sprinters, including Andre De Grasse, Trayvon Bromell, Jerome Blake, and Abdul Hakim Sani Brown, to get back to his best form.
He's looking to defend his title at the Paris Games, and his mental coach Nicoletta Romanazzi is helping him deal with the pressure and expectations.
Jacobs became an instant celebrity in Italy after his Olympic win, and he's looking to repeat that success in Paris.
He's been hospitalized for a night in Kenya due to a stomach virus, but he's now focused on his training and preparation.
Jacobs is 29 years old and has been working with Reider to figure out why he was carrying so many injuries for so many years.