“I won’t let Yohan beat me over 200 metres,” he said. “In the 100 maybe, he
might have a chance, but the 200 is my favourite event. I’ve worked hard to
perfect it over the years. I told him already that I won’t let it happen.”
Last night Bolt was true to his word, even having the audacity to look
across the line to check whether his friend had kept up with him. It was a
performance that ended all the arguments about who is the greatest sprinter
on the planet.
Yet, when he reflects on his achievement of becoming the first sprinter to win
the Olympic double-double, Bolt will know just how big a contribution his
22-year-old understudy made to his history-making week in London, for it is
impossible to overstate the impact Blake has had on Bolt’s return to his
best, all-conquering form.
Bolt said as much after his 100m triumph at the olympics last Sunday, when he admitted that his training partner had jolted him out
of his complacency by beating him not once, but twice at the Jamaican
Olympic trials in June.
“The trials woke me up,” said Bolt. “Yohan gave me a wake-up call. He knocked
on my door and said, 'Usain, wake up! This is an Olympic year.’”
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