"I changed my coach, I changed everything" - 100m Olympic Champion Marcell Jacobs lists down the changes he made to defend his gold medal

Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Marcell Jacobs made several changes to prepare for the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris. With several incredible athletes such as Noah Lyles and Christian Coleman, among many more, in contention for the title, the 100m lineup at the Paris Olympics is expected to be more competitive than ever.

Marcell Jacobs stunned the world after he won the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in the 100m by clocking 9.80s. He became the first Italian to ever win the gold medal in the event at the prestigious quadrennial Games. Jacobs defeated Fred Kerley and Andre DeGrasse, who stood second and third respectively, to become the Olympic Champion.

Jacobs began the 2024 season with Invitational events and stood second to Andre DeGrasse at the East Coast Relays in April. He is currently set to appear at the Oslo Diamond League in a much-anticipated clash with Akani Simbine and Yohan Blake.

During the pre-race press conference, Marcell Jacobs opened up on the changes he made to prepare to defend his Olympic title later this year.

"Now we are in the Olympic year, I changed my coach, I changed everything. I moved from Italy to the U.S. trying to find the best moment for me to get in the best shape. So, now I am really ready.

I know technically, I need to make some adjustments. So, I need to compete a lot but yes, this year is really open. So, I have my opportunity to be in my best shape and win again," Jacobs said.

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Marcell Jacobs makes his desire for an Olympic title defense known

Marcell Jacobs expressed his desire to defend his Olympic gold medal in an exclusive interview with Olympics.com.

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The Italian revealed how his mindset changed after winning the gold medal and he does not consider practice to be a sacrifice but rather enjoys the process.

“After you have achieved it [the Olympic title] what can you do? Then it’s up to you to stay strong and determined, to say that in a few years, there’s another one.When I hear athletes say that even getting up in the morning is a sacrifice, I don’t feel the same way.

For me, it’s no sacrifice. When I wake up in the morning to go training, I like it. I like it when I know that in the afternoon there’ll be a heavy training session or a competition. I’m not even able to spend time at home but I like it. It makes my day,” Jacobs said.

With some of the best athletes aiming for the Olympic 100m title, the anticipation among fans is at an all-time high.