Yohan Blake Biography Facts, Childhood, Career & Life

Yohan Blake Biography Facts, Career, Personal Life
Wikimedia Commons

This article on Yohan Blake biography facts presents an analysis of his early life, career, and personal life from his childhood to date.

Yohan Blake (born 26 December 1989) is a professional sprinter from Jamaica.

Blake, who is recognized as one of the world’s fastest men, is known for his sprinting achievements in 100 m and 200 m races.

His incredible speed earned him his first World Championship title in the 100 m event at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu, South Korea.

That win, which made him the youngest sprinter to claim the 100 m world championship title, announced his presence in the Athletics world.

Since then, Blake has consistently continued to deliver exceptional performances on the track, which has seen him progress in his career.

In August 2012, despite an unfavorable wind condition, Yohan Blake completed over 100 m race in 9.69 seconds, a personal best which tied with America’s Tyson Gay as the second-fastest man in 100 m.

He also has a personal best of 19.26 seconds in 200 m, making him the second-fastest man in the 200 m sprint.

In both 100 m and 200 m sprint races, Blake has been bested by fellow Jamaican and world-renowned sprinter Usain Bolt.

At the forthcoming Tokyo Summer Olympics, Yohan Blake will have his eyes set on creating new records and possibly surpassing the 100 m and 200 m records set by his Jamaican rival.

Yohan Blake Biography Facts & Profile

  • Full Name: Yohan Blake
  • Date of Birth: 26 December 1989 (age 34 years)
  • Place of Birth: St. James, Jamaica
  • Nationality: Jamaican
  • Height: 5 feet 11 inches
  • Weight: 176 lbs (80 kg)
  • Education: St Jago High School
  • Parents: Shirley Blake (father), Veda Blake (mother)
  • Siblings: Daniela Blake (sister), Arlene Blake-McPherson (sister)
  • Partner: Laura Pearson
  • Occupation: Olympic Athlete
  • Zodiac Sign: Capricorn

Yohan Blake Childhood & Early Life

Yohan Blake was born on 26 December 1989 to his father Shirley Blake and mother Veda Blake in St. James, Jamaica.

From an early age, young Blake participated in sports.

He attended St. Jago High School in Spanish Town where he played as a fast bowler in the school’s cricket team.

On seeing how fast Blake ran to the wicket, the school principal encouraged him to try sprinting.

Yohan Blake Career

Yohan Blake at the 2012 summer Olympics
Yohan Blake at the 2012 summer Olympics in London. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

Young Blake first dazzled spectators in the world of athletics at the 2007 CARIFTA Game, where he set a Jamaica Junior Sprint record of 10.11 seconds in the 100 m and led Jamaica’s 4 x 400 m relay team to gold.

He was thus awarded the Austin Sealy Trophy for emerging as the most outstanding athlete in the Games.

He further received attention when his training partner, Usain Bolt, named him an athlete who could challenge him.

Bolt referred to him as a “beast,” which led to his “beast” sobriquet. Blake started his 2009 campaign with an impressive performance at the Reebok Grand Prix.

After he tested positive for 4-methyl-2-hexamine, a stimulant (which was not banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency, but closely similar to tuaminoheptane, a banned substance.), the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association, withdrew him from the relay race at the World Championships, and he was given a three-month ban from any competition.

Blake resurfaced in 2011 as one of the leading Jamaica stars at the 2011 World Championships.

He won the 100 m in 9.92 seconds and became the youngest athlete to do so. He was 21 years, 245 days old.

Usain Bolt did not compete in the 100 m as a result of disqualification.

He further went on to win the 4×100 m relay for Jamaica while breaking the 2008 Olympics relay record set by the team.

Blake ended 2011 with exceptional performance at the 2011 IAAF Diamond League meet in Zurich.

Blake in 2012 at the Memorial Van Damme
Blake at the 2012 Memorial Van Damme. Photo credit Wikimedia Commons

2012 began on a good note for Blake, who defeated Usain Bolt in the over 100 m at the Olympics trials.

However, though he was Bolt’s primary rival at the Olympics, he came second to Bolt in 100 m and 200 m.

Blake won gold in the 4×100 m relay.

He ended 2012 on a good note at the Athletissima Diamond League meet in Lausanne, Switzerland, where he recorded the second-fastest time in a 100 m race.

2013 was a horrible season for Blake, who suffered a hamstring injury and had to pull out of the World Championship in Moscow.

His return to action in 2014 was short-lived as he sustained another hamstring injury again.

In 2015 after recovering from his injuries, Blake did not participate in major tournaments as he could not advance to the final of the Jamaica Outdoor national championship.

The 2016 season was better than his past three seasons as he won the 100 m and 200 m titles in the national championship (Usain Bolt did not participate thanks to injuries), but at the Olympics, he emerged in fourth place in the 100 m but did not do well in the 200 m.

He won gold with Team Jamaica in the 4 x 100 m relay.

In the 2017 season, after competing in the Jamaica National Championship and the IAAF World Relays, where he helped his team win the 4 x 200m relay, he went on to the 2017 World Championships in Athletics in London, where he returned without any medal.

In the 2018 season, Blake prepared well for the Commonwealth Games, where he made it to the 100 m final but placed third. He also claimed bronze in the Men’s 4 × 100 m relay.

At the Jamaica National Championship, Blake’s hope of claiming a third successive national title was dashed after being disqualified for a false start in the 100 m. He opted out of the 200 m.

The 2019 World Championships in Doha was another fiasco for Blake, who finished in 5th place in the 100 m and could not progress to the 200 m final.

Yohan Blake Personal Life

Girlfriend

Yohan Blake is currently in a relationship with his girlfriend Laura Pearson.

Trivia

Aside from sprinting, Blake is interested in cricket.

Blake has played for the Kingston Cricket Club as a bowler in his athletics off-season.

He once nursed the ambition of playing for the West Indies.

Blake rang the bell to signify the third Investec test match between England and South Africa, at the Lord’s Cricket Ground, in London.

He supports Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) of the IPL and English cricket team, Yorkshire County Cricket Club.

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