With two sub-10 personal bests in two weeks, Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake has shot to the forefront of the next generation of local men’s sprinting just as quickly.
But who is this new talent and where has he been?
The sprinter’s performance over the past week has naturally increased his notoriety and of course, the obvious question of who is he and where did he come from.
While it may seem like a surprise to many who might have not known the youngster before, his gradual improvement has been unfolding below the radar.
The 20-year-old who would have been a competitor at the ISSA Boys and Girls Championships in 2020, was perhaps destined to become a break-out star in athletics at some point, given his alma mater Merlene Ottey High.
Blake who had a relatively ‘quiet’ champs career compared to his peers, would most likely have drawn inspiration from the person which his school was named after – Ottey, one of the greatest ever athletes to grace the track.
Despite not being known for its sporting exploits, Blake showed that the school can produce winners, after taking the National Under-18 100m title in 2019.
The then 16-year-old clocking 10.41 seconds reign supreme over all comers at the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) National Senior Championships that year.
Speaking to the media following the win, his coach Trevaughn Marsh noted that his gradual improvement was impassive, making reference to his times of 10.55 second at Boys Champs in March to now 10.41 in June.
Blake again showed his class after equaling his PB of 10.41 seconds to claim bronze for Jamaica at the North American, Central American, and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) Under-18 and Under-23 Championships in Queretaro, Mexico.
The rising star’s gradual ascension continued during his transition to the senior level as he began to train with the world’s second fast man in history, Yohan Blake.
The name wasn’t the only thing similar as young Ackeem attitude mirrored that of Yohan’s beast mode and it reflected in his times.
In the space of four months, his PB has moved from 10.19 seconds at the Hurricane Invitational, UMiami Cobb Stadium, Coral Gables, Florida in March, to 9.95 seconds at the recently concluded New York Grand Prix, at the Icahn Stadium, New York.
Additionally, his PB moved from 10.13 seconds at the John Wolmer Speed Fest, National Stadium, Kingston in March to 10.08 seconds at the MVP Velocity Fest 11 in Kingston before his first sub-10 feats in Tennessee and New York.
In a time where growing concerns about the state of male sprinting since the retirement of the Legendary Usain Bolt. Blake who is now one of three Jamaican youngsters to rise to the fore the year seems to be answering those concerns.
Training with a former teammate of Bolt doesn’t hurt either. Given his current rate of improvement, he’s expected to shine at the National Trials later this month.
