A gigantic void seemed inevitable to fill when Usain Bolt left track and field competitions. Having etched his name in the history books of the sport, Bolt retired after the 2016 Rio Olympics after winning three gold medals. During that time, the track and field fraternity saw a decade of dominance from the speedy Jamaicans. Out of that, Yohan Blake came closest to matching the level of lighting Bolt.
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He was in Usain Bolt’s shadow for a long time, even finishing second after Bolt took home the gold. Blessed with astonishing sprinting ability, Bolt recalled how he never listened in training, which probably would have led to him underachieving in track and field competitions.
Usain Bolt recalled Blake’s attitude
Competing beside him, Blake won the gold medal during the 2011 World Championships. During that event, Bolt shockingly got disqualified after having a false start. Fans believed in Blake kick-starting his career from those championships. However, that did not happen. Bolt prophesied about Blake’s struggles, and how it was due to not listening to his coach.
“I think one of his biggest problems is he wants it so much that he doesn’t listen that well. If he doesn’t change that, it’s going to be an issue,” mentioned Bolt about Blake’s performances. Who knows, probably, he could have been even better than Bolt, as the talent he had was mind-blowing.
READ MORE- NBA Legend Snubs Usain Bolt Declaring US Athlete as the Fastest Man on the Planet
After Usain Bolt, he is the second fastest man in the world, setting a time of 9.69. Usain Bolt set a 9.58 seconds record in the 100-meters, which is currently the world record. In the 200-meter, he had a time of 19.26 seconds and is yet again behind Bolt, who has set a record of 19.19. The closest he reached was during the 2012 London Olympics. He won two silvers in the 100 and 200-meter.
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De Grasse finally gets his gold!
Andre De Grasse finally won his first major gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the 200-meter competition. It was a remarkable achievement for the sprinter, who played sidekick to the Jamaican sprinter. Bolt predicted De Grasse being the challenger to Blake, and that happened.
Maybe, at the time when Usain Bolt competed, no one could catch him. He was a legend in every sense. But Yohan Blake came close. He pushed Bolt to the limits and probably assisted him in becoming better. Having a great training partner works, and presumably, Yohan would have achieved more if he trained attentively.
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