Olympic 100m champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs at the Tokyo 2020 announced Thursday that he will not run again until 2022. 

In response to a fan on a social media interaction, who asked the Italian when would be his next appearance on the track, Jacobs replied: "2022."

Almost unknown a year ago, the Texas-born Italian sprinter claimed a shock triumph in the 100m at the Tokyo Olympics as well as gold in the 4x100m relay.

He set a European record of 9.80 seconds in winning the 100m final.

Jacobs's previous career highlight was this year's European indoor 60m title.

The 26-year-old was scheduled to next run on August 21 at the Eugene Diamond League. After that, he was to appear on September 3 in Brussels and on September 9 in Zurich for the season-ending Diamond League Finals.

After his triumphant return to Italy from Tokyo on Monday, where he was greeted as a national hero, Jacobs resumed training.

However, Italian media said he immediately called a halt after a fall blamed on "the accumulated fatigue of the Olympics as well as a knee problem," reported Italian daily, Il Corriere della Sera.

Before 2020, Jacobs had never gone below the 10-second barrier.

"It's a dream, it is fantastic. Maybe tomorrow I can imagine what they are saying, but today it is incredible," he said after his triumph in Tokyo, the first of the post-Usain Bolt era.

"I crafted a really good team to support me," he said of his improvement. "We changed the starts. And we work mentality. Mentality, good food, good physiotherapy. I really work hard with my mind. Because when I was arriving at the big moment my legs don't work too good. Now my legs go really good when it's a big moment. 

"It was my childhood dream to win an Olympic Games and obviously a dream can turn into something different, but to run this final and win it is a dream come true."  

American Fred Kerley, who took the silver in the 100m final, said that he barely knew Jacobs. "I raced him once, in Monaco," he said. "But I know nothing about him."