YOHAN BLAKE SERVED notice he will be ready to challenge for the Olympic 100m title, upstaging world record holder Usain Bolt to win in 9.75 seconds at the Jamaican Olympic Athletic Trials.
Just one month before the start of the London Games, Blake became the fourth-fastest man ever in the event as he ran a personal best and the fastest time in the world this year with a legal wind of +1.1 m/sec.
“Coach (Glen) Mills told me I can do it and I believed,” said an elated Blake after Friday’s victory. “The Olympics is the focus right now.”
Bolt, the reigning Olympic champion, was second in 9.86 seconds after a poor start and Asafa Powell snatched the third and final Olympic spot with a time of 9.88 seconds in a star-studded final.
“He’s a class runner without a doubt and I have said it over the years that he is one of the best. So for me it’s just one of those things,” Bolt said of Blake.
Blake was not the only 100m hero Friday at the National Stadium as Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce clocked a world leading 10.70 seconds to beat Veronica Campbell-Brown (10.82) and Kerron Stewart (10.94).
“This is the first hurdle and I crossed it and I am just looking forward to the Olympics,” Fraser-Pryce said.
Bolt said he was distracted in the blocks and it affected his start.
YouTube credit:: mikebascombe
“In the finals Nesta (Carter) moved beside me and when the gun went I was not focussed,” Bolt said. “It is kinda hard to run down people like Asafa and Blake with his top end speed. But for me to get left in the blocks like that is really bad.
“In the semis again, the guy next to me moved and it threw me off. It is kinda hard to ignore them so when they move it’s gonna throw me off a little bit. When I get left it is hard.”
Bolt said his mechanics were off as he made a final push to catch Blake.
“Over all from 60 metres the race was good. But the last part my shoulder went up so it kinda slowed me down.”
In August 2011 in Daegu, South Korea, Blake became the world champion in the 100m after Bolt was eliminated because of a false start.
The two sprinters are both coached by Mills.
