Yohan
Blake won Jamaica’s men’s 100 meters Olympic trials in 9.95 seconds on
Friday after world and Olympic champion Usain Bolt pulled out minutes
before the final with a hamstring injury.
handed in a medical exemption after aggravating in Friday’s semi-finals
a right hamstring injury that he had sustained Thursday night.
had to stave off a false start, which was wrongfully charged to him by
the team of starters, who took back the red card in favor of a yellow
card that was charged to the field.
Running
in lane four, Blake held his nerve on the second time of asking,
beating Nickel Ashmeade (9.96s) to the line by one hundreds of a second.
Newcomer
Jevaughn Minzie, training partner of Bolt and Blake, ended third in a
personal best 10.02secs, while former world record holder Asafa Powell
was fourth in 10.03 seconds.
“God is alive. A lot of people didn’t think I’d be back but watch here, I am.” an elated Blake said.
“It has been a
struggle (batting back from hamstring injuries)…I wanted to go faster
but because of the tragedy that was going on at the start I couldn’t
because I had to conserve and be cautious,”
Bolt’s withdrawal does
not affect his participation in the Rio Olympics, where he is expected
to defend his 100 and 200 meter titles.
Unlike
the United States, where the first three finishers in the trials win
Olympic berths, Jamaica’s selection policy allows medical exemptions.
had clocked 10.04 seconds to win the first semi-final after a poor
start and was due to square off in the final against Blake.
Thompson stormed to women’s 100 meter final win, clocking 10.70secs to
equal two-time defending Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s
national record while punching her ticket to Rio.
was in destructive form after taking control of the final after 30
meters to win ahead of Fraser-Pryce who clocked 10.93 seconds.
“It’s
been a wonderful season from the start and coming to this trials to
make my first Olympic team with a personal best I can’t complain as you
see I’m actually crying right now, ”
“I
know Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce wasn’t healthy and coming out year you
have to be tough and she was determined and came out and book her spot
to the Olympics,” the world 200m silver medalist said.
