
ZURICH — World 100 metres champion Yohan Blake is hoping to keep his edge over another strong line-up at the Samsung Diamond League in Zurich on Thursday.
The Jamaican powered from behind to take the men’s 100m title at the just concluded IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, and will face most of the competitors again at the Weltklasse Zurich meeting.
World record holder Usain Bolt, who false-started in the finals will not be at the line, but former world record holder and fastest man in 2011, Asafa Powell, who pulled out of the championships with a sore groin problem is back.
But Blake, still on cloud nine after his victory, is confident of keeping his good form alive.
“I finished the World Championships ranked number 1 and I want to keep it that way,” Blake, who ran the third leg on the Jamaican team that won gold and set a new world record of 37.04 seconds on the last night, said.
“Definitely since the World Championships my life has changed. Like the press conference and getting calls.
“It’s not going to be easy, but I think my agent and all the people around me are going to teach me to handle the pressure well.”
“I’ve been running really good. The breeze has been giving me good times, at -1 to -1.5. But I’m not really looking for a time. I like to let my feet do the talking and the time will come if I execute a perfect race.”