Marcell Jacobs wins world’s fastest man duel at world indoor championships

Italian Marcell Jacobs consolidated his claim as the world’s fastest man, following his surprise Olympic 100m gold medal with a world indoor 60m title by three thousandths of a second over American star Christian Coleman.

Jacobs rallied in the final strides to overtake Coleman, the world’s fastest 100m sprinter in the last Olympic cycle who missed the Tokyo Games due to a ban over missed drug tests. Coleman also holds the 60m world record of 6.34 seconds from 2018.

Both men clocked 6.41 seconds in Belgrade on Saturday. Jacobs’ time to the thousandth was 6.407 to Coleman’s 6.410. Another American, Marvin Bracy, took bronze in 6.44.

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“I believe in myself and my potential,” Jacobs, a 27-year-old El Paso native who had not broken 10 seconds in the 100m before 2021, then won Olympic gold in 9.80, reportedly said. “If I win both championships outdoors [European and worlds], I will make a history.”

Coleman and Jacobs are expected to face off again at the biggest meet of the year, the world outdoor championships, in Eugene, Oregon, in July.

“I thought I had it,” Coleman, who returned to competition in January after an 18-month ban, reportedly said. “I can feel that I’m getting my rhythm back.”

Also Saturday, Ukrainian Yaroslava Mahuchikh won the women’s high jump, reportedly after fleeing her hometown after the Russian invasion three weeks ago and needing three days to drive to Belgrade.

“Terrible sounds of explosions, artillery fire and shooting,” she said before worlds, according to European Athletics. “Even before I called my parents, I understood that this was war.”

The U.S. went one-two in the women’s pole vault with 2016 Olympic silver medalist Sandi Morris (4.80