Yohan Blake

Commentators at the 2011 Daegu World Championships initially dubbed him “the young pretender” [to the 100m crown] but soon changed that label to World 100m champion. With his friend and training partner Usain Bolt out of the final due to an infraction at the start and a not-so-well, struggling Nester Carter, the weight was squarely placed on his shoulders to prove his mettle. And he did by coming from behind to defeat Walter Dix of the USA and the veteran former World champion, Kim Collins of St. Kitts/Nevis. He became the youngest man ever to hold that title.

Less than a month later, on September 16, the then 21-yr-old Yohan Blake, who also loves to play cricket, proved he was no fluke as he stormed from behind once more to win the 200m at the Brussels Diamond League. Again, Blake ran away from the competition and won in 19.26s, the second fastest time ever run.

One year later, Blake, didn’t need a technicality to beat his mentor at the 2012 Jamaican Olympic trials, where he stunned Bolt and took the 100m by 0.11 seconds with a personal-best time of 9.75 – until then, the best in the world that year. He later defeated Bolt soundly to win the 200m in 19.80.

Today, Blake, known to take training super seriously, has become a star right behind Bolt with sprint double silver medals at the London Olympics. He was also a member of Jamaica’s world record-breaking 4x100m relay teams (third leg) in Daegu and London.