Olympic champ Jacobs brings forward return to compete in Italian championships

Jacobs made that announcement while sitting out the Rome Diamond League a fortnight ago, allowing Fred Kerley to cruise to victory at the Stadio Olimpico.

Jacobs, the gold medal winner at the Tokyo Olympics last year, has only raced the 100m twice since his stunning triumph in Japan.

Olympic champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs will bring forward his return to the 100 metres to this weekend by participating at the Italian athletics championships, the country's federation (FIDAL) said on Friday.

Jacobs had been expected to make his comeback from a muscle injury at next week's Diamond League meeting in Stockholm but FIDAL revealed that he would be racing on Saturday in Rieti, north of Rome, in preparation for next month's world championships.

Jacobs, a shock gold winner at the Tokyo Olympics last year, has only raced the 100m twice since his stunning triumph in Japan, both underwhelming runs at a meeting in Savona last month.

He picked up a muscle injury at that low-key meeting on the Italian Riviera, and Jacobs had previously suggested that he might not be able to compete before the worlds held in Eugene, Oregon from July 15-24.

Jacobs made that announcement while sitting out the Rome Diamond League a fortnight ago, allowing Fred Kerley to cruise to victory at the Stadio Olimpico.

He also had to pull out of an event in Nairobi last month with intestinal problems, missing another chance to take on Kerley after pipping the American to gold in Tokyo.