Last Updated on March 10, 2013 by Jimson Lee
The 2012 Memorial van Damme Diamond League meeting is in Brussels tomorrow, and all eyes will be on Usain Bolt and the 100 meters.
But that’s NOT the race to watch (just like David Rudisha’s 800m was the race to watch over the Bolt-Blake 200m in London).
If the weather is good, then I predict a World Record for Yohan Blake. The forecast is sunny but dropping well below 20C / 68F by late afternoon, early evening. The 200m start time is 8:55pm.
Sure, it’s a bold prediction, and I’ve been wrong before, but consider Blake ran 19.26 last year in Brussels when his PB was 9.82 for 100m. It was a straight final with no heats or qualifying rounds, and he ran the first half super relaxed. In fact, he wasn’t in the lead at 100m.
This year, in 2012, he has run 9.75 at London and 9.69 in Lausanne (see YouTube video below) in one of the most relaxed 100m races with Tyson Gay next to him.
UPDATE: Sorry, the video is no longer on YouTube.
The pressure is off, he has recovered from the flu, and now he’s 0.13 seconds faster than last year.
Sure, it was a long season but you can never say never, especially with the Beast.
In my mind, this will be the race to watch.
Unfortunately, your WR prediction may not happen. Unless your name is David Rudisha, then most likely you need strong competition to push you towards world record times. Last year Blake was pushed by a determined Walter Dix (who I believe ran a PB in that race). This year Blake is up against Weir and Lemaitre. Weir has been slowing down from his Olympic pace and Lemaitre has not been at his best this season. Other than Blake, nobody in this race has a PB under 19.84 (Weir). Unless someone steps up and runs 19.6-something to really challenge Blake, I don’t think Blake can go out there and break the record all by himself.
I just read on another site that Blake was hungry for the 200m at Brussels this year and immediately came to Speedendurance to get your take on it.
And I couldn’t agree with you more. Even if he doesnt get the WR I believe he will walk away with the World leading mark…we shall see.
I think he can beat it. Last year he made 10.18 en the first half 100 meter and 9,08 in the second half. The first part is about 0,36 seconds more than his personal 9,82 at this time. But in the Olympics Blake did a 10.18 and 9.26 to do his 19.44 with a 9,75 100 meter PB.
Blake had been gaining a little muscular weight (from 73 kgs to 80 kgs) to give him more explossive power in the sort distances. For a 200 meter race he is not as agile than the past year and I am a little doubtfull about what he can do. Personally, I expect to see a world record or very close to it under the 19,3 second barrier.
The main weapon Blake has is his very high frequency steps and his inhuman anaerobic endurance. In other articles it has been said Brussels is the best field to run a 200 meter race and gives and advantage of 0,2-0,3 seconds to the mark. Tomorrow we will see a great achievement for sure.
Other data about Yohan Blake can be seen in my blog where with the advice and help of speed endurance I can collect to take some predictions and data about his potential.
http://radunga-dejandohuella.blogspot.com.
pls how did u know yohan blake split times
Splits from Yohan Blake and other 200 meter races are taken from the website and other webpages specially the speedendurance web and works from Javier Aguado, a great spanish biomechanich. If you put his name in the web and goes to articles in the spanish newspapaer “El Pais” you can find very interesting data about athletics as well.
Well WR is possible, but if the conditions are not so perfect like last year and he does not have a big rival like dix in that moment, hardly he will can to get WR running totally alone since 80m probably…
Yes, he can to get it, but i doubt it, of course wonderful time sure.
Bolt if he gets good start i think that 9.6 is possible, and with normal start 9.7 easily.
I only WISH after the Olympics that I would’ve made a quick post that I believed Aries Merritt is on pace to claim the 110m hurdles WR this year after so many sub 13 sec races….Well he just did it at Brussels with an amazing 12.80……now its time for the Jamaicans……..
No WR or WL time but a 19.54 is still sick fast for Blake…what a great season this has been!
if you watch the replay, it looks like he might have stepped on the line, and was caught off balance around 70m. He ran an incredible curve, going for it.
Yes Jimson Blake ran ery good curve, but he did not have enought endurance for last 50m.
Perhaps his last 100m were 9.4-9.5, very normal for him.
In London he made last 100m around 9.26
WR was a little fantasy , the most important he did not have rivals, he ran alone since 80m probably hehe.
Great time of course
The people usually is wrong when they think like:”if the last year he ran 19.26 with bad reaction time and 9.82 like PB, now with better reaction time,and 9.69 like PB, he should to run a lot of faster…”
No, it is not maths hehe.
He ran very relaxed, without pression, perfect conditions weather,wind,big rival like Dix,….
The conditions were so perfect that Dix ran almost 0.2 seconds faster that he runs usually(perhaps if he runs until finish line he would have sub 19.5 in that race)
Blake improved his 100m this year due to more muscles in his biceps and chest probably(and more things of course)
he got more potence, power,.. but perhaps he did not improve his 200m.
Of course he is very fast yet, but probably his body now is better in 100 that in 200.
If Blake is high level the next year like is very possible, it will get that Bolt run until his limit and we can to see sub 9.5 or low 9.5 and sub19 or low 19.
Great for everybody :)
I would like to see bolt run the 400 sub 43 no doubt.