Yohan Blake

Yohan Blake

Personal information
Nickname(s) The Beast
Nationality  Jamaica
Born 26 December 1989[1][2]
St. James, Jamaica
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Weight 76 kg (168 lb)
Sport
Sport Track & Field
Event(s) 100 m, 200 m
Club Racers Track Club
Coached by Glen Mills
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s) 100 m: 9.69 (Lausanne 2012)
200 m: 19.26 (Brussels 2011)
400 m: 46.49 (Kingston 2012)

Yohan Blake (born 26 December 1989), is a Jamaican sprinter of the 100-metre and 200-metre sprint races. He won a gold medal at the 100 m at the 2011 world championships as the youngest 100 m world champion ever, and a silver medal in the 2012 Olympic Games in London in the 100 m and 200 m races for the Jamaican team. He is known by the nickname "The Beast."

Blake's 100 m personal best of 9.69 seconds makes him the equal second fastest man ever with Tyson Gay, and after Usain Bolt. His personal best for the 200 m (19.26 seconds) is the second fastest ever after Bolt.[3] He holds the national junior record for the 100 metres, and was formerly the youngest sprinter to have broken the 10-second barrier (at 19 years, 196 days).[4][5][6] In 2009, along with three other sprinters he was suspended for three months after testing positive for a substance similar to a banned stimulant.

He is coached by Glen Mills. His training partners are Usain Bolt and Daniel Bailey.[7]

Early life

Blake attended St. Jago High School in Spanish Town where his first sporting love was cricket. Blake was a fast bowler, and it was only after the school Principal saw how quickly he ran to the wicket that he was urged to try sprinting.[8]

Career

Junior

Blake set the fastest time by a Jamaican junior sprinter over 100 m with 10.11 seconds.[9] The record was set at the 2007 CARIFTA Games held in the Turks and Caicos islands where he also led his team to gold in the 4 × 100 metres relay.[10] At this occasion, he was awarded the Austin Sealy Trophy for the most outstanding athlete of the 2007 CARIFTA Games.[11][12][13]

In 2008 when Usain Bolt was asked in an interview whether there was any sprinters that could challenge him, Bolt named his training partner Blake, saying "Watch out for Yohan Blake. He works like a beast. He's there with me step for step in training." The "Beast" nickname stuck.[14]

Blake won the 100 metres "B" race at the 2009 Reebok Grand Prix.[15] His exploits at the Golden Gala in July represented a significant improvement. He proved himself to be a serious competitor at the senior level: he took third place behind Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell and improved his personal best with a 10-second barrier-breaking run of 9.96 seconds,[16] becoming the youngest athlete ever to do so.[17] He improved to 9.93 seconds shortly after, taking third place behind training partners Bolt and Daniel Bailey at the Meeting Areva.[18]

Drug ban

Prior to the 2009 World Championships, Blake (along with Marvin Anderson and Sheri-Ann Brooks) tested positive for the stimulant 4-Methyl-2-hexanamine.[19][20] A disciplinary panel organised by the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO) cleared him of a doping infraction on the grounds that the drug was not on the World Anti-Doping Agency's banned list. However, JADCO appealed their own panel's ruling, stating that the athlete should be disciplined as the drug was similar in structure to the banned substance tuaminoheptane.[21] As the panel would resolve the issue after the World Championships, the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association took the precaution of withdrawing Blake from the relay race.[22] The appeals tribunal decided that a ban would be appropriate, and Blake and the three other sprinters each received a three-month ban from competition.[23]

World championships

At the 2011 World Championships, Blake comfortably made the final. Following the disqualification of compatriot Usain Bolt, Blake won the Gold medal in a time of 9.92s.[24][25] At 21 years, 245 days, Blake also became the youngest 100 metres world champion ever, surpassing Carl Lewis, who won the event at 1983 World Championships at the age of 22 years, 38 days.[26] Alongside Bolt and other Jamaican teammates in Daegu, Blake won the 4×100 m relay final and broke the world record (set by the Jamaican team at the Beijing Olympics in 2008) with a time of 37.04 seconds.[27][28]

At the 2011 IAAF Diamond League meeting in Zurich, Blake beat Asafa Powell in the 100 m with a personal best of 9.82 seconds. The following week in Brussels, Blake set a 2011 world leading time in the 200m with a personal best of 19.26 seconds, the second fastest time of all-time of the event with an improvement of more than half of a second (0.52 s) from his previous best 19.78 s set in Monaco in 2010.[29][30]

2012

He began his 2012 season strongly, registering the first sub-10-second time of the season (9.90s) at April's UTech Classic.[31] He went on to register a 9.84 second run at the Cayman Invitational prior to the Jamaican Olympic trials, where he beat Usain Bolt over 100 metres with a time of 9.75 seconds. He also won the 200 metres with a time of 19.80s ahead of Bolt at 19.83s.

Blake doing his signature "Beast" move at the 2012 Olympics

The 2012 London Olympics was the first Olympics that Blake participated in. He came in as a serious threat to Bolt's 100 m title. In the 100m final he placed second to Bolt in a time of 9.75 seconds. He also followed Bolt home in the final of the 200 metres where he won the silver medal in a time of 19.44 seconds.[32]

In the 4 x 100m final, Yohan ran the third leg as the Jamaicans won gold, setting a new world record time of 36.84 seconds.

On 23 August 2012, at the Athletissima Diamond League meet in Lausanne, Switzerland, Blake ran the 100 meters in 9.69 seconds, tying him with Tyson Gay as the second fastest man in history, behind Bolt.[33]

Personal bests

Event Time (seconds) Venue Date
60 metres 6.75 Madison Square Garden, New York, United States 1 February 2008
100 metres 9.69 Lausanne, Switzerland 23 August 2012
200 metres 19.26 Brussels, Belgium 16 September 2011
400 metres 46.49 Kingston, Jamaica 11 February 2012

Achievements

Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
Representing  Jamaica
2005 CARIFTA Games (U-17) Bacolet, Trinidad and Tobago 1st 100 m 11.01
1st 200 m 22.19
World Youth Championships Marrakesh, Morocco 7th 100 m 10.65   (0.8 m/s)
3rd (h) Medley relay (100 m x 200 m x 300 m x 400 m) 1:54.47
2006 CARIFTA Games (U-20) Les Abymes, Guadeloupe 1st 200 m 21.12   (−0.5 m/s)
1st 4x100 m relay 39.81
Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships (U-20) Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago 1st 100 m 10.33   (1.5 m/s)
1st 200 m 21.02   (1.4 m/s)
1st 4x100 m relay 40.49
World Junior Championships Beijing, China 3rd 100 m 10.42   (−0.5 m/s)
1st 4×100 m relay 39.05
2007 CARIFTA Games (U-20) Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands 1st 100 m 10.11 CR   (1.2 m/s)
1st 4x100 m relay 39.47
2008 CARIFTA Games (U-20) Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1st 100 m 10.32   (0.1 m/s)
World Junior Championships Bydgoszcz, Poland 4th 100 m 10.51   (−0.8 m/s)
2nd 4×100 m relay 39.25
2011 World Championships Daegu, South Korea 1st 100 m 9.92
2012 Olympic Games London, United Kingdom 2nd 100 m 9.75
2nd 200 m 19.44
1st 4×100 metres relay 36.84 WR

Other interests

Away from athletics, Blake continues to be a keen cricketer, having once held ambitions to play for the West Indies.[14] Playing for the Kingston Cricket Club in the athletics off-season and specialising as a bowler, Blake once took four wickets for ten runs.[14]

On 16 August 2012, Blake rang the bell at Lord's Cricket Ground, London to signify the start of the third Investec test match between England and South Africa. He was the first non-professional cricketer to do this.[35]

Yohan Blake is also a fan of IPL team Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and has expressed his desire to play for them[36] and also Yorkshire County Cricket Club.[37]

Blake also attended the 2014 Formula One British Grand Prix.[38]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "BBC Sport – London 2012 Olympics – Yohan Blake : Jamaica, Athletics". Bbc.co.uk. 13 August 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  2. ↑ Yohan Blake. sports-reference.com
  3. ↑ Diamond League: Yohan Blake and Usain Bolt star in Brussels BBC Sport, 16 September 2011
  4. ↑ Peter Larsson All-time men's best 100m Track & Field All-time Performances; Retrieved 13 August 2009
  5. ↑ Meeting Areva 2009 Athlete biographies IAAF; Retrieved 14 August 2009
  6. ↑ Levy, Leighton Blake must wait Jamaica Gleaner, 20 July 2009; Retrieved 13 August 2009
  7. ↑ Raynor, Kayon Agent in awe of Blake's rapid progress. Jamaica Observer, 23 July 2009; Retrieved 13 August 2009
  8. ↑ Gleeson, Michael. Bolt faces enemy from within. Sydney Morning Herald. 4 August 2012.
  9. ↑ Reid, Tyrone S. Yohan Blake: Life in the fast lane Jamaica Observer, 10 April 2007; Retrieved 13 August 2009
  10. ↑ Finisterre, Terry 10.11 sec Jamaican junior record run by Blake at CARIFTA Games – Day One IAAF, 8 April 2007; Retrieved 14 February 2009
  11. ↑ Carifta Games Magazine, Part 2 (PDF), Carifta Games 2011, retrieved 12 October 2011
  12. ↑ Carifta Games Magazine, Part 3 (PDF), Carifta Games 2011, retrieved 12 October 2011
  13. ↑ Yohan Blake rakes in more awards, 30 April 2007, retrieved 12 February 2012
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Purnell, Gareth (3 July 2012). "Meet Yohan Blake, the Beast who is driving Usain Bolt nuts – Athletics – More Sports". The Independent. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  15. ↑ Reebok Grand Prix New York City, NY (USA) – Saturday, 30 May 2009 – 100 Metres IAAF; Retrieved 1 June 2009
  16. ↑ Ramsak, Bob Gay powers back with 9.77 in Rome – REPORT – ÅF Golden League IAAF, 10 July 2009; Retrieved 11 July 2009
  17. ↑ Yohan Blake Nominee 2012 – Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Laureus. Retrieved 21 February 2012
  18. ↑ Turner, Chris Bolt beats rain again, 9.79sec into slight head wind in Paris – REPORT – ÅF Golden League IAAF, 17 July 2009; Retrieved 22 July 2009
  19. ↑ Jamaican athletes fail drug tests BBC Sport, 24 July 2009; Retrieved 13 August 2009
  20. ↑ Row in Jamaica over athletes cleared of doping Inside the Games, 10 August 2009
  21. ↑ IAAF wait for Jamaica drug ruling BBC Sport, 11 August 2009; Retrieved 13 August 2009
  22. ↑ Jamaican five withdrawn by team BBC Sport, 19 August 2009; Retrieved 19 August 2009
  23. ↑ Jamaicans given three-month ban BBC Sport, 14 September 2009; Retrieved 17 September 2009
  24. ↑ World Athletics 2011: Bolt disqualified as Blake wins gold BBC Sport, 28 August 2011
  25. ↑ Bolt sensationally disqualified as Blake wins 100m CNN.com, 29 August 2011
  26. ↑ Marantz, Ken With Blake, cricket's loss is track and field's gain IAAF, 28 August 2011
  27. ↑ Daegu 2011: Jamaica Shatters Relay Record as USA Fall ThisDay Live, 4 September 2011
  28. ↑ Usain Bolt leads Jamaica to relay world record as GB and US clash guardian.co.uk, 4 September 2011
  29. ↑ Jad Adrian Yohan Blake 200m 19.26s Video, Walter Dix 19.53s – Brussels Diamond League 2011 AdrianSprints.com, 17 September 2011; Retrieved 17 September 2011
  30. ↑ Bolt and Blake blaze to world-leading times ESPN.co.uk, 16 September 2011
  31. ↑ Foster, Anthony (2012-04-15). Bolt opens with relay leg; Blake dashes 9.90 in Kingston. IAAF. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
  32. ↑ Panja, Tariq and Danielle Rossingh. Bolt Sprints Into Olympic Record Books With a Regal Wave. BusinessWeek. 10 August 2012.
  33. ↑ "Usain Bolt clocks 19.58 in 200 meters at Lausanne". Summergames.ap.org. 23 August 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  34. ↑ Blake, Yohan biography IAAF; Retrieved 11 July 2009
  35. ↑ "Yohan Blake rings bell at Lord's | Mail Online". Dailymail.co.uk. 16 August 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  36. ↑ Salian, Dhiraj (8 August 2012) Yohan Blake wants to play for RCB. RCB News
  37. ↑ "Yohan Blake: Jamaican sprinter wants Yorkshire cricket chance | BBC Sport". bbc.co.uk. 16 May 2014. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  38. ↑ Dawes, Mike. "Prince Harry, Michael Fassbender, Stuart Broad and Yohan Blake among stars at Silverstone to watch British Grand Prix". Mail Online. Retrieved 2014-07-07.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Yohan Blake.
Achievements
Preceded by
Jamaica Usain Bolt		 Men's season's best performance, 200 metres
2011 		Incumbent