Ackeem Blake hungry for more after lowering PB
HAVING shattered his personal best time in the men’s 100 metres event at the USATF LA Grand Prix last Saturday, Jamaican rising sprint star Ackeem Blake says there is still a lot left to come from him this season.
Blake got off to a poor start in the race but rallied strongly in the final 10 metres to win in 9.89 seconds. The 21-year-old Blake, who was the youngest in the field, erased his previous best time of 9.93 which he set at the National Championships on June 24 last year.
Americans Cravont Charleston and Christian Coleman, who were the early leaders in the race, finished second and third, respectively, both in 9.91 seconds.
Blake, who is coached by Gregory Little and Michael Frater at the Titans International Track Club, was very pleased with his performance.
“This race means a lot to me, knowing that I was the youngest in the field, so I know both of my coaches are proud of me and also my dad,” Blake told the Jamaica Observer.
“The season is going good so far. I am just going out there and not putting any pressure on myself and so I am just going out there to execute like I have been doing so far this season,” he said.
Blake, who rose to prominence last year after finishing third in the 100m at the National Championships, was a semi-finalist at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, United States.
He credited his coaches for working assiduously with him over the past three years to get him to this stage.
“I am proud of myself because my coaches were planning a three-year programme for me to run under 10 seconds and I have done so now, so I am proud of myself,” Blake said.
Blake is now the fastest Jamaican in the world this year and third-fastest man in 2023 over 100m, behind American Fred Kerley (9.88) and Kenya’s Omanyala Ferdinand 9.84.
Little said he is not surprised by Blake’s performance this season as he has shown in recent years that he has what it takes to become a world-class athlete.
“I expected Ackeem to run 9.8 or faster this year because I designed a three-year programme for Ackeem and this is his third year, and so everything is manifesting for him,” Little said.
“I am expecting him to do very well for the remainder of the season but I am not putting any times on him because we are just taking it step by step at the moment,” he said, noting that his young charge must maintain discipline and focus on the sport.