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Yohan Blake
The Track and Field Beast

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Yohan Blake | image source: athletics weeklyYohan Blake | image source: athletics weekly

By Venesha Johnson | Associate Writer

When it comes to electrifying speed and jaw-dropping athleticism, one name that commands attention is Yohan Blake. Known as "The Beast" for his powerful presence on the track, Blake has established himself as one of the most prominent sprinters of his generation. With an impressive list of accolades and an inspiring journey, he continues to inspire millions around the world.

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Blake attended St. Jago High School in the Jamaican town of Spanish Town. A talented cricketer, he was encouraged to try sprinting by a teacher who was struck by his quickness. The young person quickly began to shine. At the age of 16, he ran the junior-fastest 100-meter time in Jamaican sprint history (10.11).

He quickly teamed up with veteran Jamaican coach Glen Mills. The Racer’s track club, led by Mills, is one of the island's most established and respected athletics training camps. Usain Bolt trained at Racers for the entirety of his career and would often train alongside Blake. He gave Blake the moniker "Beast” after marvelling at his enthusiasm for laborious work.

The hard work paid off for Blake, who in 2010 ran a time of 9.93 seconds to declare himself a legitimate competitor in the international arena, breaking the 10-second barrier for the first time.

In the months that followed, during which he repeatedly defeated his famed training partner, Blake's nickname became firmly entrenched. One of them occurred at the 2011 IAAF World Championships in Daegu (KOR), where Blake won the gold medal with a timing of 9.92 after Bolt was disqualified from the final for a false start.

Blake beat Bolt twice on the track in 48 hours after running the second-fastest 200m of all time (19.26 in Brussels in September 2011), defeating him in the 100 and 200 meters at the Jamaican Olympic trials in Kingston in July 2012.

Bolt asserted his authority by retaining the championship he had earned at Beijing 2008 with a new Games record of 9.63, nevertheless, since the Olympic gold medal was on the line in London. In Lane 5, Blake finished second in 9.75 seconds, sandwiched by Americans Tyson Gay and Justin Gatlin.

Four days later, the 200-meter final saw Blake and Bolt come out neck and neck, bringing 80,000 spectators inside London's Olympic Stadium to their feet. But very predictably, "Lightning Bolt" pushed ahead down the straight to win gold in 19.32 and "The Beast" took silver in 19.75. In the 4x100m final, the two combined their efforts. Blake ran the third leg before passing off to Bolt, who broke the world mark in a time of 36.84 to win his third gold medal of the competition and a second for his young compatriot.

Blake capped off a strong 2012 by becoming second in the all-time rankings for the 100 meters behind Usain Bolt with a time of 9.69 at the IAAF meeting in Lausanne (SUI) on August 23.

The Jamaican champion duly qualified for the 100-meter final at Rio 2016, where Bolt won the race in 9.81 to win for a third time in a row, ahead of Gatlin and Andre De Grasse of Canada, with Blake coming in fourth and finishing 0.02 seconds off the podium.

Three days after being eliminated in the 200-meter semifinals, Blake returned to the track for the 4x100-meter final, taking Asafa Powell's baton for the second leg and watching as Nickel Ashmeade and then Bolt secured another relay victory for Jamaica. It was Blake's second gold medal and fourth overall Olympic medal.

Though Blake has since retired from his moniker, “The Beast”, he continues to be the paragon of dedication to the sport. Yohan Blake's electrifying speed, remarkable achievements, and unwavering dedication have cemented his place as one of the most iconic figures in athletics.

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References & Sources For Yohan Blake

  1. I. (n.d.). Yohan BLAKE Biography, Olympic Medals, Records and Age. Olympics.com. https://olympics.com/en/athletes/yohan-blake

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