“Three years ago I was a completely different person, I was coming as an outsider and I was at my first Olympics, today I am coming as an Olympic champion and this gives me a lot of self-esteem. I think that as I did it once I can do it again”. He said Marcell Jacobs, Tokyo Olympic gold medalist, in conference at Casa Italia. “There is pressure, everyone, myself first, expects a lot – he added -. But I’m using it as a push and not as a burden”. Then on the goals of the year: “I had three: stay healthy and I am, win the European Championships and then the Olympics, touch wood… But in these first days in the village I have positive vibrations”.
“The heats will help break the ice, as for times we will have to run fast but I don’t think we will need stratospheric times to get on the podium. The goal is not to reach the final thinking about a time but to go to the final trying to make fewer mistakes and focusing on ourselves. To get on the podium I think we will need to run under 9″85”.