Yohan Blake facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Yohan Blake

Blake at the 2012 Memorial Van Damme
Personal information
Nationality	Jamaica
Born	(1989-12-26) 26 December 1989 (age 35) St. James, Jamaica
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight	80 kg (176 lb)
Sport
Sport	Track and field
Event(s)	100 m, 200 m
Club	Racers Track Club (2009–2019)
Coached by	Gregory Little (since 2020) Patrick Dawson (2019) Glen Mills (2009–2019)
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	100 m: 9.69 (Lausanne 2012) 200 m: 19.26 (Brussels 2011) 400 m: 46.32 (Kingston 2013)
Medal record Representing  Jamaica Men's athletics Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 2 2 0 World Championships 2 0 0 World Relays 2 0 1 Commonwealth Games 0 0 2 World Junior Championships 1 1 1 Pan American Junior Championships 0 1 1 CAC Junior Championships 3 0 0 CARIFTA Games (Junior) 5 0 0 CARIFTA Games (Youth) 2 0 0 Total 17 4 5 Olympic Games Gold 2012 London 4×100 m relay Gold 2016 Rio de Janeiro 4×100 m relay Silver 2012 London 100 m Silver 2012 London 200 m World Championships Gold 2011 Daegu 100 m Gold 2011 Daegu 4×100 m relay Commonwealth Games Bronze 2018 Gold Coast 100 m Bronze 2018 Gold Coast 4×100 m relay World Relays Gold 2014 Bahamas 4×100 m Gold 2014 Bahamas 4×200 m Bronze 2017 Bahamas 4×200 m World Junior Championships Gold 2006 Beijing 4×100 m relay Silver 2008 Bydgoszcz 4×100 m relay Bronze 2006 Beijing 100 m Pan American Junior Championships Silver 2007 São Paulo 100 m Bronze 2007 São Paulo 4×400 m relay CAC Junior Championships (U20) Gold 2006 Port of Spain 100 m Gold 2006 Port of Spain 200 m Gold 2006 Port of Spain 4×100 m relay CARIFTA Games (Junior) Gold 2006 Les Abymes 200 m Gold 2006 Les Abymes 4×100 m relay Gold 2007 Providenciales 100 m Gold 2007 Providenciales 4×100 m relay Gold 2008 Basseterre 100 m CARIFTA Games (Youth) Gold 2005 Bacolet 100 m Gold 2005 Bacolet 200 m Representing Americas Continental Cup Gold 2018 Ostrava 4×100 m

Yohan Blake (born December 26, 1989) is a famous Jamaican sprinter. He is known for running fast in the 100-meter and 200-meter races. He won a gold medal in the 100m race at the 2011 World Athletics Championships. He was the youngest person ever to win this title. At the 2012 Olympic Games in London, he won two silver medals in the 100m and 200m races. He finished just behind his teammate, Usain Bolt.

His times of 9.75 seconds in the 100m and 19.44 seconds in the 200m are the fastest ever for someone who didn't win gold at the Olympics. Blake is the second fastest man in history for both the 100m and 200m races. He shares the second-fastest 100m time (9.69 seconds) with Tyson Gay. Only Usain Bolt has run faster (9.58s, 9.63s, and 9.69s). Blake's best time for the 200m (19.26 seconds) is also the second fastest ever, after Bolt's 19.19 seconds.

Blake holds the Jamaican national junior record for the 100 meters. He was the youngest sprinter to run the 100m in under 10 seconds. He achieved this at 19 years and 196 days old. Later, Trayvon Bromell broke this record. Many people consider Blake one of the best sprinters of all time. He used to train with Usain Bolt and Daniel Bailey. His coach was Glen Mills until 2019.

Early Life and Sports Beginnings

Yohan Blake grew up in Jamaica. He went to Green Park Primary and Junior High School. A coach named Carlton Solan noticed his talent early on. At Green Park, Hopeton Bailey was in charge of sports.

Blake later attended St. Jago High School in Spanish Town. His first love in sports was cricket. He was a fast bowler. The school principal saw how quickly he ran to the wicket. This made the principal suggest he try sprinting instead.

Blake's Amazing Career Journey

Junior Achievements and Nickname

Blake set a new record for Jamaican junior sprinters in the 100m. He ran it in 10.11 seconds. This happened at the 2007 CARIFTA Games in the Turks and Caicos islands. He was also part of the winning 4x100m relay team there. For his great performance, he received the Austin Sealy Trophy. This award is for the most outstanding athlete at the CARIFTA Games.

In 2008, Usain Bolt was asked about other sprinters who could challenge him. Bolt mentioned Blake, saying, "Watch out for Yohan Blake. He works like a beast. He's there with me step for step in training." From then on, Blake was known as "The Beast."

Blake started to compete well at the senior level. He ran 9.96 seconds in the 100m at the Golden Gala in July. This made him the youngest athlete to run under 10 seconds. He improved his time to 9.93 seconds soon after. He finished third behind Usain Bolt and Daniel Bailey at the Meeting Areva.

World Champion in 2011

At the 2011 World Championships in Athletics, Blake easily reached the final. His teammate Usain Bolt was disqualified in the 100m final. This allowed Blake to win the gold medal with a time of 9.92 seconds. He was only 21 years old. This made him the youngest 100m world champion ever. He broke the record set by Carl Lewis in 1983.

At these championships, Blake also won a gold medal in the 4×100m relay. He ran with Bolt, Nesta Carter, and Michael Frater. They set a new world record of 37.04 seconds. This broke the previous record set by Jamaica at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Later in 2011, Blake ran a personal best of 9.82 seconds in the 100m in Zürich. The next week in Brussels, he set a world-leading time for 2011 in the 200m. He ran it in 19.26 seconds. This was the second fastest time in history. He improved his previous best by more than half a second.

Olympic Glory in 2012

Blake doing his signature "Beast" move at the 2012 Olympics

Blake started 2012 very strong. He was the first to run under 10 seconds that season (9.90s). At the Jamaican Olympic trials, he beat Usain Bolt in the 100m with a time of 9.75 seconds. He also won the 200m race, finishing ahead of Bolt.

The 2012 London Olympics was Blake's first time at the Games. Many thought he could challenge Bolt for the 100m title. In the 100m final, he came in second to Bolt with a time of 9.75 seconds. He also took silver in the 200m final, running 19.44 seconds. This was the fastest time ever for a silver medalist.

In the 4×100m relay final, Blake ran the third part of the race. The Jamaican team won gold and set a new world record of 36.84 seconds.

On August 23, 2012, Blake ran the 100m in 9.69 seconds at a meet in Lausanne, Switzerland. This tied him with Tyson Gay as the second fastest man in history.

Injuries and Comebacks (2013-2015)

Blake faced challenges in 2013 when he hurt his hamstring. This injury kept him from competing in the 100m at the World Championships. He had an automatic spot as the defending champion.

He tried to compete again in 2014. However, he suffered another hamstring injury during a race. This ended his season early. Before his season ended, he helped Jamaica win gold in the 4x200m relay. They also broke the world record at the first IAAF World Relays in the Bahamas.

In 2015, Blake was ready to race after recovering. He did not make it past the semi-finals in the 100m at the Jamaican national championship. He then decided not to run in the 200m trials.

Return to Form (2016-2017)

Blake made a strong comeback in 2016. He ran under 10 seconds in the 100m for the first time since 2012. He then won both his 100m and 200m national titles. Usain Bolt was injured and did not compete.

At the 2016 Summer Olympics, Blake reached the 100m final. He finished fourth with his best time of the season. He did not do as well in the 200m, failing to reach the final. However, Blake won his second Olympic gold medal. He ran the second leg in the 4 × 100m relay.

In 2017, Blake continued to perform well. He helped his team win a bronze medal in the 4 × 200m relay at the World Relays. He also won both the 100m and 200m titles at the Jamaican National Championships. His 100m time was the second fastest that season. His 200m time was his first under 20 seconds since 2012.

At the 2017 World Championships in Athletics in London, Blake finished fourth in the 100m final. He was just 0.04 seconds behind Usain Bolt, who won bronze. Blake did not make it to the 200m final. In the 4 × 100m relay, Usain Bolt got injured during the race. Blake helped Bolt, who refused a wheelchair, to his feet. Blake left the championships without any medals.

Later Career and Coaching Changes (2018-2021)

Blake started 2018 preparing for the 2018 Commonwealth Games. He was a favorite for the 100m event. In the 100m final, he stumbled at the start. He finished third, winning a bronze medal. He also won another bronze in the 4 × 100m relay.

In 2019, Blake changed coaches. He left Glen Mills and started working with Patrick Dawson. Later, Blake and other former Racers Track Club members said that Mills favored Usain Bolt. Despite this, Blake won his fourth national 100m title. He also won the 100m at the Birmingham Diamond League. At the 2019 World Championships in Doha, he finished fifth in the 100m final. He did not make it past the 200m semi-final. After this, Blake changed coaches again to Gregory Little.

In 2021, Blake continued to compete. He ran a fast 9.95 seconds in the 100m in July.

Tokyo Olympics 2020

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics were tough for Blake. He did not reach the final of the 100m race. He said his leg was bothering him. No Jamaican man qualified for the 100m Olympic final, which hadn't happened since the 2000 Summer Olympics. He and his Jamaican teammates finished fifth in the 4 x 100m relay. He did not compete in the 200m.

Yohan Blake's Best Times

• All information taken from IAAF profile

Other Interests and Personal Life

Outside of running, Blake still loves cricket. He once hoped to play for the West Indies. He plays for the Kingston Cricket Club when he's not running. He is a good bowler and once took four wickets for ten runs in a game.

On August 16, 2012, Blake rang the bell at Lord's Cricket Ground in London. This signaled the start of a cricket match between England and South Africa. He was the first person who wasn't a professional cricketer to do this.

Blake also likes the IPL team Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). He has said he would like to play for them and for Yorkshire County Cricket Club. He admires Virat Kohli, who captains the Indian cricket team.

In March 2021, Blake said he would rather miss the Tokyo 2020 Olympics than get the COVID-19 vaccine.

See also

In Spanish: Yohan Blake para niños