Ahead of the European Athletics Team Championships in Poland, the Olympic gold medalist withdraws from the race yet again. Italian track and field athlete Marcell Jacobs remains in the athletic limelight for his frequent race withdrawals. With two golds in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, the king of sprints is often looked up to for his next big win.

Since the beginning of the year, staying away from the big runs has often landed the athlete mixed reactions from the netizens. Undoubtedly, his portfolio of smashing records and creating history keeps him at the top of his game among the athletic icons who have fallen prey to similar setbacks. Recently, former track and field player Bianca Knight came to his defense while recalling a similar injury.

Former athlete displays unity as Marcell Jacob loses to injury again

In a recent tweet by @Track_Gazette, dropping the news, the tweet reads, “Lamont Marcell Jacobs has withdrawn from the European Team Championships, to hold from 23rd to 25th June. He was diagnosed with a condition of perineural inflammation with vascular stasis of the sciatic emergency at the level of the ischial foramen of the right thigh.” Internet was quick to label the reigning Olympic 100m champion, while others came to his defense.

The quarrel went back and forth as strong opinions poured in from each side, among which stood Bianca Knight. She retweeted @Track_Gazette and shared experiencing similar pain during her sprinting days. In response, Knight wrote, “From a person who had issues with their sciatic nerve, I can tell you that it is definitely crippling at times & it does effect training & competition. It can be fixed once it is identified.” 

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While the Italian federation said Jacob should take time for “treatment and specific training until the problem is fully resolved.” Jacobs has withdrawn from a series of events, including the Diamond League Meet in Morocco and the Diamond League Meet in Florence. Though it’s high time caused fans to react, it’s interesting to note that Knight continued to engage in this discussion. 

Everything you need to know about the withdrawal beef on Twitter

Knight definitely delivered a clear message to the internet that she got Jacobs back like a rock. As the internet continued to react to the news of his withdrawal, someone tweeted, “Is it more about the pain or that it reduces mobility?” (He did say that he was happy that he didn’t have pain during the race).” To this, Bianca replied, “It’s both. Mine went down my right hamstring. I couldn’t sleep bc of the pain, nor could I train be no matter what I did. My hamstring was super tight & achy, so I always felt like I would pull it if I tried to push through it. It’s a tough injury.” While another engagement looked like-

Some replies were genuine, as a tweet read:

 Some even showed concern, saying,

Despite the internet’s continued ambivalence regarding the greatest sporting figures, track and field competitors remain the most pain-tolerant athletes. Aspirant sprinters frequently consider the legacy Knight has left behind after a distinguished career that contributed to Mississippi history. For Jacobs, the journey has been arduous, having encountered many setbacks due to injuries. The 28-year-old is determined to recover and rehabilitate for the upcoming World Championships in Budapest, set to take place from August 19–27.

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