The Albany Gazette - Olympic champion Jacobs says 'not myself' despite winning return to 100 metres

Italian Jacobs crossed the line in a time of 10.04sec in the final in front of a small crowd at the low-key meeting on the Italian Riviera, having won the heat in a wind-assisted 9.99sec.

The 27-year-old left the track with a small problem with his glute muscles and said that he had thought about not racing the final as he had not felt in control during the heat.

"I thought I could do a bit better to be honest," he told reporters.

"In terms of technique I wasn't myself out there... It was a race in which I felt held back somehow."

In March Jacobs stormed to victory to take the world indoor 60m gold in Belgrade, chasing down the American world 100m champion Christian Coleman in the final.

And he was due to go head to head in Nairobi last weekend with Fred Kerley for the first time since pipping him to earn a shock win at last year's Tokyo Games.

- 'Difficult week' -

However he had to pull out of the event with intestinal problems meaning he made his comeback at a rustic event under glorious sunshine in Italy.

"It was a pretty difficult week after the return from Nairobi," said Jacobs

"I tried to recover as much as possible but I paid for a lack of energy.

"I was completely dehydrated for two days. I was in bed and didn't have the energy to stand up. So just being able to race is pretty good."

No more than a hundred spectators could have been present when Jacobs first appeared on the track at the Centro Sportivo Fontanassa, located in the hills above the seaside town and surrounded by verdant countryside.

Dressed in black, Jacobs received a light smattering of applause from the small crowd as he surveyed where he would race later in the afternoon.

Jacobs breezed to victory in the heats despite not being happy with his display, finishing ahead of Yupun Abeykoon and France's Jimmy Vicaut, who was racing for the first time since March.

He then crossed the line first in the final, a small cheer from the crowd an appropriate reaction to a race in which he finished 0.06sec ahead of Ivorian Arthur Cisse, with Vicaut again back in third.

Jacobs will follow up this event by taking part in the Eugene leg of the Diamond League at the end of this month, a dry run for July's World Championships in the American city.

He is hoping to boots his sharpness over 100m ahead of a potential clash with reigning world champion Christian Coleman in the summer.

"I finished the indoor season as world champion," said Jacobs.

"Let's hope we can do the same again."

(K.Müller--BBZ)