Overview
- In a detailed interview, Olympic sprint champion Marcell Jacobs said he lacks the desire to train and has not decided whether to continue competing.
- Jacobs accused FIDAL of unfair treatment after Paris, saying new criteria dropped him from top status while others, citing Gianmarco Tamberi, remained.
- He said the confirmed spying case involving Giacomo Tortu, sanctioned with three years of ineligibility, violated his privacy and destabilized him, though he reports calm relations with Filippo Tortu.
- FIDAL president Stefano Mei said he is surprised by the claims, maintains the federation reached out to Jacobs and his coach, and voiced worry about the athlete’s missing motivation.
- Speaking to students in Milan on December 10, Jacobs said he felt sidelined, needs to rediscover his drive, seeks guarantees from coach Rana Reider, and is advancing a Desenzano sports academy project while weighing a possible push to Los Angeles 2028.