London 2012 Olympic trials: Usain Bolt beaten in to second place by Yohan Blake at Jamaican Olympic Athletic Trials

fastest man in history is, for the time at least, no the fastest man in Jamaica after Usain Bolt slumped to a sensational 100 metres defeat at the of his training partner, Yohan Blake, the Jamaican Olympic trials in Kingston.

Blake, took the world title in Daegu last summer when Bolt was disqualified a false start, blew the triple Olympic champion with a winning time of 9.75 sec, Bolt 0.11 sec behind in second place. Asafa Powell, former world record-holder, a further 0.02 sec adrift but sealed the third available Olympic spot.

Blake’s performance, scarcely could have predicted after he had struggled to find gear during the early part of the season, sent a powerful warning Bolt that he has a major fight his hands to defend his Olympic crown in London in five weeks’ .
His time, which was set with a legal tailwind of +1.1m/s, was the fastest in the world this year and it makes him the fourth fastest man in history after Bolt, American Tyson Gay and Powell. His previous best was 9.82 sec.

"Nine-point-seven-five, it's awesome," said Blake. "I won world championship, so I've got that. Now, I'm the national champion for Jamaica, so I've that. And now, I go into the Olympics this."

Bolt, best time of the year was the 9.76 sec he ran the Rome Golden Gala earlier this month, suffered his familiar problem of a poor start and it a monumental effort just to overhaul Powell to claim the runner-up spot.

But there was clear daylight Bolt and Blake, the man known ‘the Beast’ because of his prodigious work ethic training, who let a celebratory scream as he crossed the finish .

Bolt, who was the first congratulate Blake with a handshake and a on the head, said afterwards: "He's a class runner a doubt and I have said it over the years he is one of the best. So, for me, it's just one of those .”

There were more fireworks in the women's 100 defending Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce won in Jamaican record 10.70 sec, equalling the seventh fastest ever, with Veronica Campbell-Brown second place and Kerron Stewart third.

"I always faith because of my training," said Fraser-Pryce said. "I came out here to my best. I did my best. It worked . I'm going to the Olympics."


Adapted from: The Telegraph, June 30, 2012.