"I'm here to have fun and finally start my season." Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs feels ready for the season debut at the "Meeting de Paris" tomorrow evening, the fourth round of the 2023 Diamond League.

The Azzurri, after deserting the stage of Rabat, Morocco, and the Golden Gala "Pietro Mennea" in Florence, feels that he has left the worst behind and tomorrow evening, at the Charlety stadium, he will be on the starting blocks of the 100 meters where he will find the world gold of the 200 Noah Lyles, the Kenyan Ferdinand Omanyala and the American Ronnie Baker.

Among the other Azzurri engaged in Paris, there will also be the 4×100 with the Olympic Champions Filippo Tortu, Fausto Desalu, Lorenzo Patta ready to improve the 38.38 course in Florence a month ago and thus approach the qualification for the World Championships, scheduled in just over two months in Budapest.

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Filippo Tortu, Fausto Desalu, Lorenzo Patta and Marcell Jacob

In Paris there will be no Fred Kerley to challenge Jacobs, the two have "pinched" each other via social media in recent weeks but have not yet confronted each other on the track. "I think it creates hype, people like to see these challenges, it's something that makes people talk about a sport that needs visibility," Jacobs said. On Instagram, Kerley wrote to me that he hopes I'm fine and can get back to 100%, he's happy to see me race."

And on the criticism received for his renunciations, he does not break down: "It is normal that others can talk more than they should, but it is part of the game, it is right that they do it: I speak with the results. These things amuse me, it means that everyone wants to try to beat me and they consider me a strong athlete. That's what's important."

"It's the first race, which actually had to be the third, added Jacobs, we said to ourselves that the problems of the past seasons should not be repeated, and that first of all there had to be continuity on a physical level. The most important thing is to feel good physically and mentally: I wanted to make sure I competed without risking anything and having to stop the season."

The program of the races

18.57 Shot put (women)

19.35 High jump (women)

20.14 110 obstacles, batteries

20.15 Discus throw (women)

20.20 Pole vault (women)

20.32 4×100 Women (not valid for Diamond League)

20.39 4×100 men (not valid for the Diamond League)

20.42 2 Miglia (men, not valid for the Diamond League)

21.04 400 hurdles (men)

21.15 800 metres (women)

21.19 Long jump (men)

21.24 5000 metres (women)

21.42 Javelin throw (women)

21.52 110 hurdles, final

22.02 400 metres (women)

22.12 100 metres (men)

22.22 200 metres (women)

22.32 3000 steeplechase (male)

22.51 800 metres (men)