World's second-fastest man recounts long, painful road to recovery

André Lowe, Senior Staff Reporter

In April 2013, months before the IAAF World Championships in Athletics, then-world 100m champion Yohan Blake limped off the National Stadium Mondo track in pain, while competing in a 100m race at the University of Technology Classic.

That grimace, first downplayed after early projections, later turned into tears of agony for the budding sprinter, who saw his hopes of defending his title disappear.

It was a devastating blow for the Olympic 100m and 200m silver medalist, who shared with a group of international journalists the challenges faced during his recovery and his drive to get back to the top.

After 10 months on the sidelines, Blake, who made his return to competitive action on February 8, in a 400m race at the Camperdown Classic, is excited to get back into full stride, and thanked those who helped him through what he described as a difficult recovery process.

"Getting back, trust me, it was not easy," said Blake. "Every night I cried, every night it was hard."

"Throughout my injury, there were a lot of persons there talking to me, like (manager) Cubie (Seegobin), (local manager) Mr (Timothy) Spencer, Sean Kettle, Coach (Glen) Mills; everyone was there talking to me and telling me that it wasn't the end of the world," Blake added.

"But I know what I can do, and I know once I'm healthy, I am dangerous," he said.

Blake, a standout at Champs during his St Jago High school days, winning 15 medals in his junior and youth career at the World Junior Championships, Pan American Junior Championships, Central America and Caribbean Junior Championships, and the Carifta Games, has enjoyed a strong three years on the professional stage, winning five Olympic and World Championships medals in the period.

The 24-year-old has been working hard to get back in top shape, and has had a fairly active calendar so far on the early-season local circuit, with a 4x100m run at last week's UTech Classic and a 200m run at the UWI Invitational complementing his Camperdown Classic appearance.

However, so far, the sprinter's only confirmation of an appearance at a major international meet is at the June 14 Adidas New York Diamond League meet.

Blake is eagerly awaiting the opportunity to test his readiness and gauge how fast he will be able to go this season after the tough lay-off.

"I'm really excited, and my agent has to be keeping me calm. I'm really excited, and I'm just working my way back and taking my time. When it's time to let loose, I will be unleashed," Blake noted.

"What sets me apart? My focus and my drive, while they are sleeping I am working," he added.

Only world-record holder Usain Bolt has gone faster than Blake over the 100m and 200m, with the youngster staking his claim with personal best times of 9.69 seconds in the 100m and 19.26 seconds in the 200m.