KINGSTON – Despite winning the sprint double at the Jamaica Olympic Trials this past weekend and signalled his return from injury, Yohan Blake has been told he is way off gold medal pace for Rio, later this summer.
Blake stole the show in the absence of Usain Bolt, who withdrew from the trials after the 100 metres semi-finals on Friday night with a hamstring injury
The World Championships over 100m in 2011 and a double silver medallist in the 100m and 200m at the London Olympics in 2012, posted times of 9.95 secs and 20.29 (-1.5 m/s) to win the sprint double in Kingston, but his coach Glen Mills believes his pupil is well off Olympic gold standard.
“He has a long way to go,” Mills, who also coaches world record holder Usain Bolt said, according to the Daily Mail. “He ran 20.22 – that is a long way from what is required to win in Rio.”
Mills added: “He said that he thought he could have run 19 seconds? Well I would have loved to have seen that.
‘But he is getting himself back by hard work and dedication. He is highly motivated and a hard worker.
“When you have that, it is a good combination but he isn’t at the levels he was four years ago in London. He is not as good as that yet.”
That much was obvious Mills. 9.95 and 20.2 at an Olympic trials is underwhelming (Yohan ran 9.75 and 19.80 by this point in 2012). Yet all and sundry expecting him to be in 9.7 and 19.4 shape by Rio. Cho na man!