London 2012 Olympics: Usain Bolt promises that Blake will never beat him again

By ALEX LOWE
Published on 07/08/2012 00:38

USAIN Bolt warned Jamaican team-mate Yohan Blake he is ready to exact double revenge when the Olympic 200 metre competition begins today.

Bolt suffered shock defeats by Blake in both the 100m and the 200m at the Jamaican trials. But the 26-year-old bounced back in sensational fashion on Sunday night, pulling away from an outstanding field to win his second
Olympic 100m title in 9.63 seconds.

Blake, the unwitting catalyst for Bolt’s success, had to settle for silver and immediately promised the 200m would be his time to make a mark on the Olympics. But Bolt now considers himself to be one triumph – one more successful Olympic title defence – away from achieving legendary sprint status.

“I’ve told Yohan Blake, I am not going to let him beat me again,” Bolt said. “When Blake beat me in Jamaica, that was a wake-up call. He (effectively) knocked on my door and said Usain: ‘This is an Olympic year, wake up’.

“So I’m grateful for that moment because after that I got my head in the game. I was like ‘come on Usain, you gotta beat this guy’. After the trials I sat down with my coach to figure out what is the problem.

“I think when you get to the top you’re there, you know it’s good, you’re working and you’re enjoying it and sometimes you lose sight because everybody is praising you, everybody says you are great.”

Bolt, the world 200 metre champion, set the world record of 19.19 in 2009 but Blake posted the second fastest time ever of 19.25. After winning silver in the 100 metres, Blake said: “He is the fastest man in the world and I’ve got a silver medal. What more can I ask for? To be the second-fastest man in the world behind Bolt is an honour.”

But Blake will settle for that in the 200 metres. “I think the 200 metres will be interesting,” he said.