Yohann Blake ruled out of the World Championships

World 100 metres champion Yohan Blake will not be fit to defend his title in Moscow in August, according to reports in Jamaica.

Blake, 23, won the 100m title in Daegu, South Korea, two years ago after Usain Bolt was disqualified for a false start and had been selected in the Jamaican team as a wildcard pick despite being unable to compete at the National Championships last week.

The sprinter known as ‘The Beast’, who trains with Bolt in Kingston, was already out of the 200m in Moscow because he could not run in the Jamaican trials, but Blake is now reportedly not fit enough to compete at the World Championships at all.


 

The sprinter has been struggling with a hamstring injury since pulling up at the UTech Classic on April 13 and could only run 20.72 seconds – more than a second down on his personal best – at the JAAA All Comers meeting in Kingston on June 8.

A senior athletics official told Jamaica’s Sunday Observer: ‘He is definitely out of the World Championship. He will not be part of Jamaica’s squad. 

 ‘Yohan will have to do surgery soon, so there is no way that he can make the team. The injury is so sensitive that even if he is a real “Beast” he cannot recover from it in time for the World Champs.’

Jamaican now face being unable to select either Blake or Asafa Powell for their 4 x 100m relay team for the World Championships.

Former world record-holder Powell, 30, could finish only seventh in the 100m in the Jamaican trials and missed out on selection for the sprint relay team.

However, Blake’s agent, Cubie Seegobin, insisted no decision has yet been made on whether Blake will be able to defend his 100m title.

He told Reuters: ‘The coach (Glen Mills) has not yet decided on pulling him from the world championships. No decision has been made about Yohan missing the world championships.

‘There is absolutely no discussions or plans for any surgery and I don't know where that information is coming from.’