“Times Are Slow AF”: Track & Field Community Disappointed by Marcell Jacobs & Andre deGrasse’s Performances at Ostrava Golden Spike 2024

The Czech Republic hosted the 63rd edition of Ostrava Golden Spike, a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting. Men’s 100m sprint Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs of Italy, and Canada’s Andre De Grasse, the 200m Olympic champion, raised the excitement over short distances on the track. Ryiem Forde, a promising track and field talent from Jamaica, completed the podium with the Olympic champions.

The Ostrava Golden Spike has long held the reputation of producing highly coveted competitive events for track and field fans around the world; but, to everyone’s dismay, no sprinter dipped below 10 seconds in the 100m race. Disappointment followed this and frowning on the internet as the results were announced.

Ostrava Golden Spike 2024:

Several Olympic Champions, world champions, and national champions headed the strong track roster for the 2024 Ostrava Golden Spike 2024 on May 28. Despite the stacked-up talent, @travismillerx13 upset the fans with an update on X announcing the results: “Andre de Grasse wins the Ostrava 100m (+0.0) ahead of Ryiem Forde and Marcell Jacobs #ContinentalTourGold.“

Andre De Grasse ran a season-best 10.10 seconds in the men’s 100 meters. The 29-year-old last won his 100m season debut in 10.11 seconds on April 27 at the East Coast Relays. He then finished second at the Rabat Diamond League in Morocco on May 19. Saturday’s race marked his second victory in three outdoor races this season.

Meanwhile, Jamaica’s Ryiem Forde (10.17) and Marcell Jacobs (10.19) took second and third place respectively. Jerome Blake finished fourth in the eight-man field in 10.19, bettering his 10.34 SB from May 15 at Savona, Italy. Jacobs has delivered just two individual events this year, the most recent being a 10.07 season best-to-win in Rome. As a result, the Italian athlete was the fastest in the Ostrava field this year according to his season-best time.

He was also one of four men in the lineup with a PB under ten seconds. Even Ryiem Forde set a season-high of 10.12 seconds at Clermont, Florida, in April. Britain’s Reece Prescod, who set his personal best of 9.93 in Ostrava 2022, was again another top prospect for Saturday’s win. Now, while De Grasse, a six-time Olympic champion, won the men’s 100m race, it does not appear that fans were satisfied.

Fans react to disappointing slower finishes at Ostrava 2024

When it comes to track and field fans, no mercy is shown. As nasty as it gets, they wait behind their screens, brimming with higher hopes and occasionally wagering on their favorites. This time was no different, as a fan called out saying, “Those times are slow AF!” Another fan picked out how the slower run times don’t even create the atmosphere of being closer to the Paris Olympics, and said, “Still waiting for this track season to catch fire. Sprints so slow this year”

Although behind the scenes, Marcell Jacobs jokingly said, “I can win the 100, he can win the 200.” Talking about splitting podium places with his 200m buddy De Grasse looks like someone isn’t taking track and field rivalry as lightly as they wrote, “That Jacobs gold medal definitely looking more like a fluke day by day.”

“The fact that flojo women’s world record won’t finish last here…” another commenter said sarcastically calling out the eight-men lineup of 100m sprint at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting. De Grasse needs to run the 100m race in exactly 10 seconds or less to meet the Olympic entry standard. Right now, he is ranked high enough in the world to get a spot, but running that time would guarantee it, and has until June 30 to do this.