FORMER OLYMPIC CHAMPION Maurice Greene has tipped Yohan Blake to upset his Jamaican compatriot Usain Bolt in the 100 metre sprint.
Greene, who won the 100m at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, believes Bolt does not have the technique to overcome Blake.
Blake defeated Bolt in the 100m at the Jamaican national championships in June and Greene expects the same result in Sunday’s Olympic final in London.
“I’m going to put my money on Yohan Blake,” Greene said. ”I believe technically his race is better than everybody else out there, so it has allowed him to win. Usain (Bolt) has been having problems technically with his race for the last two years and he hasn’t been able to fix them yet, so I can’t put my money on him.”
Meanwhile, American sprinter Tyson Gay has admitted he is feeling the pressure ahead of the 100m heats tomorrow. Gay failed to qualify for the semi-finals of the 100m in Beijing after a hamstring injury disrupted his preparation for the Olympics. The 29-year-old, who has been dogged by a hip problem for much of the past year, has claimed an Olympic medal would fill a hole in his heart.
“I’m not going to lie, it’s a lot of pressure,” Gay said. ”There would still be pressure if I had got a medal in 2008 but it’s a lot more now because I feel like that’s the missing piece in my heart.
“It’s a lot of pressure but I’m going to try and relax and put it to one side. As soon as they ask us to take our mark that will be my goal to relax and stay focused on getting this medal.”
Despite Bolt’s less than stellar preparation for the London Games, Gay still believes the reigning Olympic champion is the one to beat.
“I don’t really want to say (Usain Bolt) is vulnerable,” Gay said. ”Like I said, this guy has definitely proven he can run 9.5 (seconds) or 9.6 and 9.7; several times as well. He’s the only guy that’s been where we haven’t been. He still has to be one of the favourites. He knows what it takes to compete at this level,” he added.
