Tokyo 2020 was Marcell Jacobs’ ultimate ‘Wait, who?!’ moment. The Italian sprinter went from being relatively unknown to Olympic champion faster than you can say ‘false start.’ Before May 2021, he hadn’t even cracked the 10-second barrier. Six weeks later? Boom—he was running 9.80 and standing on top of the podium as the 11th fastest man in history. And because one gold wasn’t enough, he helped Italy pull off a dramatic 4x100m relay win too. But not everyone was clapping, some were raising eyebrows, especially after Jacobs called it a season immediately after his double-gold triumph. Coincidence? The skeptics didn’t think so.

Jacobs, however, isn’t having any of it. “Absolutely not, and I would not,” he said when asked if he’d ever taken performance-enhancing drugs, adding that the accusations have been straight-up hurtful. But the drama didn’t stop there. On February 15, things got wild when reports surfaced that a former teammate’s brother had allegedly hired a hacker! Yes, a hacker with supposed ties to both the mafia and the Secret Service to dig up dirt on Jacobs. Insane!

Things just got a whole lot more complicated for Marcell Jacobs. Giacomo Tortu, the brother of Filippo Tortu (remember, the guy who helped win relay gold alongside Jacobs in Tokyo), started suspecting Jacobs of doping. So, what does he do? He hires a sketchy Milan-based intelligence company called Equalize to dig into Jacobs’ business. The company is run by ex-cop Carmine Gallo (under investigation for allegedly hacking government and police databases). But Gallo’s revelation was shocking!

According to Gallo, Giacomo wanted Jacobs’ blood data (yep, blood data) and even access to his private phone conversations with his team—manager, coach, and nutritionist. And if that wasn’t wild enough, there’s a “super-hacker” named Gabriele Pegoraro involved, and apparently a €10,000 dossier with all the juicy details. Who knew sprinting would come with this much drama? But what is Jacobs’s reaction to it?

Jacobs isn’t exactly thrilled about all of this as his team member Andrea Caiaffa shared on Instagram story words of Marcell. “Personally, I believe Filippo Tortu when he says he is not involved in the affair involving his brother Giacomo. Having said that, the fact that someone could have spied on my cell phones saddens and worries me.” And here’s the kicker—Jacobs also expected some solidarity from FIDAL president Stefano Mei while the investigation takes place. Instead, he got… well, nothing. Ouch. So, now we’re all left wondering—could Filippo Tortu get pulled into this mess?

Filippo Tortu, 26, has made it clear that he is not under investigation and has denied any involvement in the controversy. “I found out about the news through the media,” he said. “I trust that everything will be clarified quickly, and that my name will not be linked to something I have no part in.” Giacomo Tortu, on the other hand, hasn’t responded to inquiries from Il Fatto Quotidiano, leaving his side of the story a mystery. But at the same time, Marcell Jacobs, who’s been dealing with doping rumors ever since his Tokyo victory, tried to shut down the critics during the Paris Olympics with his performance.

 Life after 2021 Olympics for Marcell Jacobs: dealing with criticism and more

Back in 2024, just two years before the Olympics, he switched focus from long jump to sprinting, and just weeks before the Games, he broke the 10-second barrier for the first time. And

ultimately won the Tokyo Olympics,  making history as the first Italian to win the Olympic 100m gold. But with that meteoric rise came whispers. Doping rumors began swirling, but Jacobs has repeatedly denied the allegations, claiming that he’s never failed a drug test and chalking it up to jealousy.

“I know I have always done everything in the best possible way. I don’t give it a lot of importance. Maybe people are jealous, “Jacob said. Despite the noise, Jacobs has managed to stay focused and keep pushing himself.  Since Tokyo, he’s picked up gold at the World Indoor Championships, another European Championship win, and a relay silver at the 2023 World Championships. But let’s be real—being the Olympic champion hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing.

The pressure to constantly perform and live up to that gold medal has been overwhelming at times. After battling injuries and dealing with burnout, Jacobs made a huge decision: he moved to Jacksonville, Florida, to train with coach Rana Reider and athletes like Trayvon Bromell. It was a complete reset, and it was exactly what he needed to get back to loving the sport again.

Heading into Paris 2024, Jacobs was determined to defend his Olympic title. He made it to the semi-finals, finishing second in his heat with a solid 10.05 seconds. But in the final, despite all the hype, he came in fifth with a time of 9.85 seconds. It wasn’t the fairy tale finish he hoped for, but Jacobs showed up, fought hard, and proved that he was much more than just a one-hit wonder.

Isn’t it insane that what started with doping whispers has now turned into a full-blown data heist with hackers, blood data, and Whatnot? Looks like Jacobs is facing a whole new race and it’s not on the track.