Jerome Blake facts for kids
Jerome Blake at the 2022 World Athletics Championships
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| Born | August 18, 1995 Buff Bay, Jamaica |
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| Height | 6'3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 86 kg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Personal best(s) | 100m: 10.00 (2022) 200: 20.04 (2022) |
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Medal record
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Jerome Blake, born on August 18, 1995, is a super-fast Canadian track and field athlete. He's known for his amazing speed in sprint races. Jerome is a key member of Canada's 4x100 meter relay team. With his team, he won a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics and a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. They also became World Champions in 2022!
Contents
Becoming a Sprinter
Early Life and Training
Jerome Blake was born in Buff Bay, Jamaica. When he was young, he started his track career as a hurdler. He ran the 400 meter hurdles. One day, he tried sprinting at his brother's soccer game. A coach noticed how fast he was and told him to switch to sprinting.
In 2013, Jerome's family moved to Canada. They first lived in Kelowna, British Columbia, and later moved to Burnaby. Jerome didn't become a Canadian citizen until 2018. Because of this, he couldn't compete in many international junior races. He once joked that if he was born in Canada, he might have played hockey instead!
First Big Wins
Jerome competed for British Columbia at the 2017 Canada Summer Games. He won gold medals in both the 100 meter and 200 meter races. This was a great start to his senior career.
He quickly became a regular member of Canada's relay teams. In 2018, he won a gold medal at the 2018 NACAC Championships. Jerome also competed at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima. He finished sixth in the 200 meters and fourth in the 4x100 meter relay.
Olympic and World Success
Tokyo 2020 Olympics
Before the 2020 Summer Olympics (which happened in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic), Jerome competed in the Canadian National Trials. He finished second, which earned him a spot on Canada's Olympic team. Just before the Games, he ran his fastest 100 meter race yet, finishing in 10.15 seconds.
As part of the 4x100 meter relay team, Jerome helped Canada win a bronze medal. Later, in February 2022, the team's medal was upgraded to silver. This happened because a runner from the Great Britain team had a doping violation.
World Champion and More Medals
After the Olympics, Jerome had a fantastic year in his individual races. He won the 100 meters at the USATF Bermuda Games. He even beat famous American sprinters like Noah Lyles. He also won a bronze medal at the British Grand Prix in Birmingham.
In the 200 meters, Jerome won the Golden Spike Ostrava race in May 2022. He just barely beat another fast sprinter, Elijah Hall.
At the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, Jerome didn't make it past the first round in the 100 meters. But he did reach the semi-finals in the 200 meters. He said it wasn't what he wanted, but he was happy to make it to the semi-finals in his first World Championships.
Relay Gold at World Championships
The Canadian 4x100 meter relay team faced challenges before their race. Their anchor runner, Andre De Grasse, was recovering from COVID-19. Still, the Canadian team ran very well in the heats, getting the third-fastest time.
In the final race, the Canadian team surprised everyone! They won the gold medal, beating the strong American team. The Canadians had smooth baton exchanges, while the Americans had some fumbles. This win set a new Canadian national record. It was Canada's third gold medal in this event. Jerome ran a super-fast 8.86 seconds on the second leg of the race, which was key to their victory.
Paris 2024 Olympic Gold
The 2023 World Athletics Championships were tough for the Canadian team. They didn't make it past the heats in the 4x100 meter relay. But they bounced back!
In 2024, the team competed at the 2024 World Athletics Relays. They won a silver medal in the 4x100 meter relay. This win also helped them qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
At the Paris Olympics, the Canadian 4x100 meter relay team finished third in their heat. They had the slowest time of the eight teams that made it to the final. But in the final race, they ran their best time of the season: 37.50 seconds! They won the gold medal in what was a huge surprise. The American team, who were expected to win, had a mistake with their baton exchange. Jerome said their win was "a four person effort coming together to create something that everyone counted us out but us."
See also
In Spanish: Jerome Blake para niños
