Marcell Jacobs has never run this fast in his entire life. Competing in Eisenstadt, Austria, the reigning Olympic champion clocked an astonishing 9.67 seconds in the 100 meters, hot on the heels of a brilliant 9.84-second performance in the heats.
While the staggering time was fueled by a massive tailwind well beyond the legal limit (+4.1 m/s), the sheer caliber of the performance remains historic. In any weather conditions, only the legendary Usain Bolt has ever run faster. Experts note that adjusted for a standard legal wind, Jacobs’ time would translate to an excellent 9.87 or 9.88 seconds.
That is more than enough to send a clear message to the sprinting world: thanks to a rekindled synergy with coach Paolo Camossi and a renewed hunger for victory, Jacobs is officially back at the absolute top of his game.