Yohan Blake not ready to hang up spikes just yet
Written by I Dig SportsThe 2011 world 100m champion is now aged 34 but believes he still has some good racing ahead of him
Since winning the world 100m title in 2011, Yohan Blake has been among the worlds top sprinters.
The Jamaican was a promising fast bowler in his youth and wanted to play for the West Indies but his true talent was in athletics and after winning 100m bronze at the World Junior Championships in 2006, he went from strength to strength.
Blake trained with Usain Bolt under the same coach, Glen Mills. He was in the multiple world record-holders shadow, too, until 2011 when he claimed world gold in Daegu.
He followed this up with Olympic 100m and 200m silver medals and 4x100m gold at the London Olympics in 2012.
His best times of 9.69 for 100m and 19.26 for 200m were also set during that 2011-12 period. Such as the quality of his times, only Bolt and Tyson Gay have run faster over 100m whereas only Bolt is quicker over 200m.
Such form led to a number of endorsements with, among other things, him wearing one of the sporty and very light Richard Mille watches.
Blake won sprint relay gold again at the 2016 Olympics and then placed a fine fourth in the 100m at the World Championships in London in 2017.
Age seems to be catching up with him lately, though, as he was eighth in the 100m at the Diamond League in London this month and has not made the Jamaican team for the Paris Olympics.
This season has been rough as Ive been battling a lot of injuries, especially with my back and hamstring, he says. Its been a fight this season. I was hoping this would be my last Olympics but I will step away when its time. I know what I can do. Ive felt it in training.