New kid on the blocks: Yohan Blake wins Olympic Games trials after injured Usain Bolt withdraws
The the 2011 world champion won in 9.95 seconds at the Jamaican trials ahead of Nickel Ashmeade and Jevaughn Minzie
Yohan Blake won Jamaica’s men’s 100 metres Olympic Games trials in 9.95 seconds after world and Olympic champion Usain Bolt pulled out minutes before the final with a hamstring injury.
Bolt handed in a medical exemption after aggravating a right hamstring injury in the semi-final that he had sustained earlier.
Blake had to stave off a false start, which was wrongfully charged to him by the team of starters, who took back the red card in favour of a yellow card that was charged to the field.
Running in lane four, Blake held his nerve on the second time of asking, beating Nickel Ashmeade (9.96 seconds) to the line by one hundreds of a second.
Newcomer Jevaughn Minzie, training partner of Bolt and Blake, ended third in a personal best 10.02 seconds, while former world record holder Asafa Powell was fourth in 10.03 seconds.
“God is alive. A lot of people didn’t think I’d be back but watch here, I am.” an elated Blake said.