The Italian quartet ran to 37.50 in the 4 x 100-meter final and beat Great Britain by one-hundredth of a second.
– This is the year of Italy, our year. We won the Eurovision Song Contest, we won the European Football Championship (with a penalty win over England in the final), and now we have won five Olympic gold medals in athletics, said Jacobs.
He ran the 2nd stage, and it was Filippo Tortu who beat Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake in a photo finish. Lorenzo Patta and Eseosa Fostine Desalu also raced in the Italian team.
[ Italiensk sjokkseier på 100 meter – Jacobs tok opp arven etter Bolt ]
Empty of tears
The British had a seemingly clear lead at the last change, but Tortu came violently on the momentum side and passed the British almost at the finish line.
– I have no more tears of joy. I have to refuel until tomorrow, because I need it when they play the national anthem in the victory ceremony, Tortu said.
Canada, with the winner of the 200 meters André de Grasse at the anchorage stage, had to settle for bronze two tenths behind the winning team. De Grasse thus obtained his third medal in the games after also winning bronze in the 100 meters.
[ Etterlengtet gull for kanadiske De Grasse – slo fire amerikanere i finalen ]
Fairy tale
For Italy it was an adventurous success in athletics exercises at the Olympics. Gianmarco Tamberi won high gold the same night Jacobs won the 100m, and in Sapporo, Massimo Stano and Antonella Palmisano won 20km gold.
“None of us had expected something like this when we traveled here,” said Jacobs.
[ Thompson-Herah avsluttet gulltrippelen med stafettgull ]
“Coffeeaholic. Lifelong alcohol fanatic. Typical travel expert. Prone to fits of apathy. Internet trailblazer.”