An important day for Marcell Jacobs. On the athletics track at the “Salvo D’Acquisto” barracks of the Arma dei Carabinieri in Rome, the Olympic 100-metre and 4x100 relay champion underwent a number of tests using the aerodynamic shield devised by the CONI Institute of Sports Medicine and Science. Under the supervision of the Institute's technicians and coach Paolo Camossi, the Azzurro medallist underwent speed endurance tests over 150 metres, in which he was able to reach 10 metres per second. Nine months after the tests carried out in preparation for the World Championships in Eugene 2022, the Tokyo 2020 champion returned to the Tor di Quinto track to test himself with the shield developed from a 1987 project by Professor Antonio Dal Monte, former Scientific Director and Head of the Department of Physiology and Biomechanics at the Institute of Sports Science. The shield makes it possible to reach higher speeds than normal by eliminating air resistance, resulting in a more powerful, wider and faster stride. As a result, the nervous system stores this information in its motor memory, which the athlete then tends to recall, resulting in higher performance.

“We are in the preparation phase of the season", Jacobs explains. “The work we’re doing is going really well, I can't wait to compete: after all, this is what we train for. The tests with the shield are very important. They allow us to reach speeds that we wouldn’t normally reach. This way, the body and muscles get used to much higher frequencies. They are demanding tests, but at the same time fun". 

Looking ahead to the next events, the sprinter says: “My main goal for the season is to do well at the World Championships in Budapest in August – it is the only medal I am missing. At the end of 2023 I will be satisfied if I have been crowned World Champion. The relay? We are a very close group. We trained together last month and we will be together again next week at the meeting. We motivate and push each other: we want to continue to achieve great results". 

In closing, Jacobs had this to say about the Olympic Games: “When I think about Paris 2024 I feel a bit of weight on my shoulders. Tokyo was an opportunity to show who I was, in France I will have to continue to prove it. I will arrive as an Olympic champion and I will try to leave as an Olympic champion again".