Yohan Blake: The heir that never was? What happened to Usain Bolt’s expected successor

 

 

Here is everything you need to know about Yohan Blake’s career to date and why he has not lived up to expectations.

Yohan Blake is a Jamaican sprinter who specialises in 100 and 200-meter races. He has had a lot on his plate since he came into the limelight.

 

Although he has shown glimpses of what he is capable of when fully fit, Yokan Blake’s career has been characterised by so many setbacks.

 

Stay updated with the Latest Athletics News in Kenya from Pulse Sports

 

From breakthrough year all the way to almost being forgotten, his journey points out a lack of consistency, given his troubles with injuries, that have hampered his growth.

 

Pulse Sports brings you everything regarding Yohan Blake and his life on track.

 

1. Yokan Blake’s early promise

Yohan Blake: The heir that never was? What happened to Usain Bolt’s expected successor

Yohan Blake is the second fastest man in history.

Yohan Blake has had a fare share of his success on the track in the 100-metre and 200-metre sprint races, since shooting to prominence at the 2011 World Championships as the youngest 100m world champion ever.

 

Yohan Blake: Who are the parents of the second fastest sprinter in history?

Yohan Blake: Who are the parents of the second fastest sprinter in history?

He is the beneficiary of Usain Bolt’s false start in 2011 when he won the 100m title.

 

To underline that his 2011 truimph was not by fluke, Blake was a silver medalist in the 2012 Olympic Games in London in the 100m and 200m races for the Jamaican team behind Usain Bolt. His times of 9.75 in 100m and 19.44 in 200m are the fastest 100m and 200m Olympic sprints in history to place second.

 

2. Why people thought he’d be the next Bolt

Yohan Blake: The heir that never was? What happened to Usain Bolt’s expected successor

Yohan Blake celebrates with the Jamaican flag.

Blake is the second‑fastest man ever in both 100m and 200m at his peak. Together with Tyson Gay, he is the joint second fastest man ever over 100m with a personal best of 9.69 seconds which he ran on August 23, 2012 into a slight headwind of -0.2m/s compared to Tyson Gay’s +2.0m/s making his time (with wind adjustments) the second fastest time of all time. Only Usain Bolt has run faster (9.58s and 9.63s) than Blake.

 

Faster than lightening: 3 Athletes who have broken Usain Bolt’s record

Faster than lightening: 3 Athletes who have broken Usain Bolt’s record

His personal best for the 200m of 19.26 seconds is the second fastest time ever after Bolt (19.19 seconds). Blake holds the Jamaican national junior record for the 100 metres, and was the youngest sprinter to have broken the 10-second barrier at 19 years, 196 days old before Trayvon Bromell ran 100m in 9.97 seconds at 18 years 11 months and 3 days old.

 

His head-to-head battles with Bolt were hard to imagine, even sometimes beating Bolt in races. Bolt even called Yohan Blake his biggest threat because of his potential and stats that surprised everyone.

 

3. What went wrong?

Yohan Blake: The heir that never was? What happened to Usain Bolt’s expected successor

Second fastest man in history Yohan Blake can still make a stunning comeback.

Injuries – recurring hamstring injuries from 2013 onwards derailed his career. Blake tore his hamstring, which prevented him from qualifying for the 200m event at the 2013 World Championships. In July 2014, Blake tore his left hamstring while competing in the 100m at Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland. He fell to the ground and was carted off in a wheelchair.

 

To date, Blake says the 2014 injury still affects him, contributing to his decline in performance and consistency. Blake failed to make Jamaica’s team to the 2024 Paris Olympics.

 

Training and coaching changes – Blake has worked with several coaches including Glen Mills, Patrick Dawson, Gregory Little and Michael Frater. Mills worked with Blake between 2009-2019 while Dawson only handled him in 2019. Little coached Blake from 2020 until Blake parted ways with him after four years. Perhaps shifting from where Bolt trained under coach Mills to different setups affected his performance.

 

Mental pressure and expectations – Being labeled ‘the next Bolt’ may have been a heavy burden. The rise of young sprinters like Andre De Grasse, Fred Kerley and others took the spotlight.

 

4. His post-Bolt era performance

Yohan Blake: The heir that never was? What happened to Usain Bolt’s expected successor

Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake

Blake is still competing but no longer at his dominant level considering that he is 35. He has struggled in recent Olympic and world championships events but does he still have a shot at redemption?

 

5. Legacy and what next

Yohan Blake: The heir that never was? What happened to Usain Bolt’s expected successor

Yohan Blake ran his fastest time in a Lausanne meet in 2012 (

The question that might be disturbing many people is that is Blake a wasted talent or just unlucky?. Blake should be remembered for his second fastest times behind only Bolt and his emergence in 2011 at the world championships.

 

While Blake has given a hint that there’s more left in his tank, it remains to be seen whether he will stay fit. Currently Blake is stepping up his fitness and is expected to take part in major assignments this year.