ATLANTA, GA — Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake clocked 9.95 seconds to win the men’s 100 meters at the 2021 American Track League Stars and Stripes Classic in Atlanta on Friday night (9).
The winning time posted at the Marietta High School track in Georgia, is a season’s best for Blake, bettering the 9.98s he ran in the semi-finals at the Jamaica Championships last month.
After running 10.09s to win his heat earlier in the evening, the 2011 world champion returned later to use a bullet start to gain a big advantage over the rest of the field before pulling away for the victory.
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“Definitely I am pumped,” Blake told an ESPN reporter after his win. “After the trials I haven’t raced, [so myself] my coach and my agent decided to stay here and race because there are still good competition in the states [to help me] get ready for the Olympics which is not far away.
“I am very excited about the time. Give God thanks,” he added.
Blake crossed the line ahead of a pair of Americans in Elijah Hall who ran 10.08s for seconds and Kyree King who was third in 10.12.
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Meanwhile, USA’s English Gardner won the women’s race with a season-best time of 11.12s, beating Khamica Bingham of Canada and American Brittney Bown who both ran 11.21s in second and third, respectively.
“It’s just a blessing to come out here and do what I love, to do what I was made to do,” Gardner, who ran 11.16s in her heat, said.
Earlier, Ronda Whyte of Jamaica ran 54.47 to win the women’s 400m hurdles, while USA’s CJ Allen stopped the clock at 48.73 to take the men’s event.
