The 22-year-old, who handed over the baton on the final changeover to training partner Usain Bolt at last year's IAAF World Championships in Daegu as Jamaica set their current world mark of 37.04sec, believes London's Olympic Stadium will witness an even swifter effort.

Particularly if former world 100m record holder Asafa Powell, unavailable for Daegu, is back to his best.

"It's in the making," said Blake.

"If Asafa Powell is fit, and none of the other athletes are injured, I think it's going to go, yes."

Blake, who profited from Bolt's disqualification on a false start in the Daegu final, finished the season in Brussels with a 200m time of 19.26sec – only ever bettered by Bolt, with his world record of 19.19.

But while he was happy to predict a new mark in the sprint relay, Blake, who is guided by Glen Mills, avoided similar speculation about his individual events this year, insisting that his target was simply "to win an Olympic medal".


Asked if he felt he could run 9.4sec, the time which London 2012 chair Sebastian Coe recently speculated Bolt (pictured left) might achieve at this summer's Games, Blake responded: "9.4?

"I am not really thinking about that as a time now.

"I just want to concentrate on winning an Olympic medal.

"This year my focus is on the 100 metres," he added.

"You can make mistakes and still run well in the 200m, but in the 100m you don't have room for any mistakes.

"And for that reason you have to be more confident.

"I am working on the technical aspects of my running right now.

"My last part of the race is wonderful.

"But I need to improve on my start and the first 30m of my race.

"I need to get that right for the London Olympics."

Many observers felt that if he had got away from the blocks more swiftly in Brussels, Blake would have set the 200m world record.

"The 200m is my stronger race," he said.

"If I can get out of the blocks and run the turn a bit harder I think I can run a good time in the 200."

Asked if he felt Bolt, world record holder at 100m and 200m, was beatable, Blake responded: "He is human, so anything can happen on the day.

"But I am not only training to beat Usain Bolt."


Bolt has given Blake (pictured) the nickname of "The Beast".

As Blake explained, it is because he trains so hard.

"They call me The Beast because I work twice as hard as anyone else in training," he said.

"I train at Christmas.

"Coach Mills calls me and says: 'Yohan, you are on a break, you need some rest.'

"I am working even when others are sleeping.

"What I do then is my secret.

"But I work on my mental preparations to get myself out there.

"I try to train myself for that."

Blake said that, as last year, he will not be running many races in preparation for the main event of the year.

"Coach Mills says I don't really need too much racing before the Olympics," he explained.

"He is one of the best coaches in the world, and I have faith in him.

"He says I am a 'take off the shelf' athlete, because he can just take me off the shelf and I will turn up and run fast.

"I didn't need many races before Daegu last year, and this year will be no different.

"Working with Usain in training has helped me a lot.

"I have to take two strides when he takes one, so it means I have to work very hard.

"But I don't always train with him.

"I train on my own pretty much most of the time.

"I love to be on my own."


Blake, who became the youngest world 100m champion since Carl Lewis in 1983, was talking in a teleconference arranged ahead of the Samsung Diamond League meeting in New York on June 9 – the adidas Grand Prix – where he will run the 100m.

"Becoming world 100m champion in Daegu gave me a lot of belief," he said.

"But I had belief before that because of the training I had done.

"Being world champion has opened a lot of doors.

"There's a lot of distractions now, and it is a heavy weight on my shoulders.

"But I think I know what I have to carry and I think it's going to be a good year for me this year.

"Both my coach and myself know what we have been working for, and he has prepared me for this.

"He has told me 'when you run fast, this will happen.'

"It has come to pass, and we are ready for it."

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