KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Yohan Blake shocked Usain Bolt for the second time in three days, producing another sizzling run to whip the World and Olympic champion in the 200 metres final in a world-leading time here Sunday night.
The 22-year-old, who stunned Bolt in the 100m earlier Friday in a world-leading 9.75 seconds, returned to clock 19.80 seconds and win the event at the National Stadium to make headlines again at the Jamaica Olympic Trials.
With the victory, Blake installed himself as the man to beat at the London Olympics which begins in just under four weeks.
Bolt, the world record-holder in both the 100 and the 200m, was second in a time of 19.83 seconds.
“A lot of people gave me encouragement. They said, ‘Yohan Blake, you can do it’,” Blake said afterward.
“I just wanted to keep performing and keep going.”
Blake stormed to victory in the 100m at the World Championships in Daegu last year but it was after Bolt had been disqualified for a false start.
However, Blake has now beaten Bolt in both head-to-head meetings this season, casting a huge shadow over Bolt’s form and his ability to defend both his sprint titles in London.
“I’ll have to figure out what I did wrong and work on it,” Bolt said following the defeat to his training partner.
Warren Weir was third in 20.03 seconds while Nickel Ashmeade finished fourth in 20.16 seconds.
In the women’s final, reigning World and Olympic champion Veronica Campbell-Brown also tasted defeat for the second time in the trials as Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce crossed the line first in a personal best 22.10 seconds.
Pryce also beat Campbell-Brown in the 100 metres final on Friday night when she ran a world-leading and new national record of 10.70 seconds .
Brown trailed in third in 22.42 seconds as Sherone Simpson took second spot in 22.37.
