ROME: Olympic 100-metre champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs will compete in his first race of the year next month and in May’s world relay championships, the Italian told the Gazzetta Dello Sport on Tuesday.

“I think I will begin my season around mid-April with one or two 100m races, although nothing is definite yet,” said Jacobs, who has been based in Jacksonville, Florida where he is trained by American Rana Reider.

Jacobs has as training partners American Trayvon Bromell, Olympic 200m champion Andre De Grasse and Japanese sprinter Abdul Hakim Sani Brown.

“Since coming to Florida, everything has changed in five months in terms of strength, technique and execution... I’m happy with my choice,” added Jacobs.

“Having champions by my side when I train is useful... I appreciate what I’m experiencing, I’m not under pressure and I have a good feeling, but if that doesn’t translate to performances at the Olympics then I won’t be happy.”

At the relay worlds Jacobs will compete in the 4x100m in which he is also Olympic champion.

The 29-year-old said he will return to Italy “around May 18-20” ahead of this summer’s Games and will be based in Rieti, north of Rome.

Once back in Europe he will take part in a series of meetings, including in Ostrava on May 28 and either the Oslo or Stockholm Diamond League events (on May 30 and June 2), ahead of June’s European Championships in Rome.

After stunning the athletics world with his two golds in Tokyo three years ago, Jacobs was also crowned world 60m world champion and 100m European champion in 2022.

However he has also struggled with a series of muscular problems and flopped at last year’s worlds in Budapest where he was eliminated in the semi-finals.

Published in Dawn, March 20th, 2024