Sports

Lamont Marcell Jacobs wins first event since Olympic golds

Olympic 100m champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs marked his return to action by winning the men’s 60m at the ISTAF indoor event in Berlin.

Competing in his first event since winning shock 100m and 4x100m golds in Tokyo last August, Jacobs won the final in a time of 6.51 seconds.

The Italian, 27, finished clear of the Ivory Coast’s Arthur Cisse (6.60) and Jimmy Vicaut of France (6.61).

Britain’s Daryll Neita won the women’s 60m final with a personal best of 7.15.

The 25-year-old beat Italy’s Zaynab Dosso (7.28) while Germany’s Sophia Junk was third (7.29).

Neita, who helped Team GB win relay bronze at the last two Olympics, had earlier improved her PB to 7.18 in the heats.

Jacobs, who only switched from the long jump in 2018, chose to rest for the remainder of 2021 after his surprise double success in Tokyo.

And in his first race back he won his heat in 6.57, with his winning time in the final just short of his PB (6.47), set in March 2021.

Jacobs went on to break the 10-second barrier for the 100m for the first time last May, six weeks before winning Olympic gold in 9.80.

There were two other reigning Olympic champions in action in Berlin, namely Armand Duplantis and Malaika Mihambo, with the former trailing the USA’s KC Lightfoot in the men’s pole vault before winning with a season beat of 6.03m.

The Swede then failed with three shots at 6.19, which would have bettered the world record of 6.18 he set in Glasgow two years ago.

In the women’s long jump, Germany’s Mihambo recovered from a slow start before making 6.66m with her final effort.

But that was the same as compatriot Merle Homeier, who came second by virtue of her earlier jumps, while Sweden’s Khaddi Sagnia won with 6.68m.

Source – BBC Sport