Furious Yohan Blake lashes out: Jamaicans only have time for winners

Yohan Blake, disheartened by the reactions from his fellow Jamaicans, brings forth a stark reflection on what he called, Jamaicans obsession with victory. According to Blake, he has faced immense pressure, not just from the global stage, but from his homeland. In Jamaica, the expectation to win is more than a national pride; it’s virtually a demand.

Blake, feeling the weight of these expectations, has often voiced his frustration.

“My head is all over the place right now because what I wanted to do at Jamaica trials I didn’t get to do,” Blake told The Inside Lane, a YouTube track and field social media program. “I wanted to run my final Olympics, but I didn’t get to. But the journey continues.”

Blake additionally conveyed his dissatisfaction with the insufficient recognition from Jamaica, stating, “My own country Jamaica doesn’t give me the respect, but I’m happy because other people outside do, they appreciate me more than my own country,” he said. “I’m happy that I’ve been able to crown elsewhere apart from Jamaica. So, I’m just looking to continue doing what I’m doing until I’m happy to step away when it’s time.”

Blake said the Jamaican public doesn’t support athletes unless they’re winning.

“Jamaica loves winners, and once you are not winning, they are not supporting you. But I don’t need their support. I have my own support staff, my own support team. I am self-motivated.”

This is not the first time Blake shared his resentment and anger towards his homeland and fellow athletes.

In a 2019 interview with the Times of India, Blake asserted that his career had been “overshadowed” and hindered from the potential of being the fastest man alive, due to the Usain Bolt’s dominance of sport.

Hi claimed during the 2017 World Championship in London, “Bolt was hardly training, he was partying a lot. He just didn’t feel the urge as it was his last race. He said to me, “I am just going to have fun”. He said he just wanted a medal, everybody goes to win, he just wanted a medal.

Blake further criticized Bolt saying, he is proud of what he had achieved, though he feels he was born in the wrong time. “If you take Bolt away from the picture, I will be the fastest man in the world. I was born in the wrong time, nevertheless, I am happy with what I have achieved. Yes, it was hard because it was his time and it was hard competing against Bolt”.

Nevertheless, Bolt has a different perspective on athletes challenges.

In 2019, the Jamaica Gleaner interviewed Bolt about tension in the training camp. Glen Mills, Bolt’s coach for his Olympic and World Championships gold medals and world records, had faced criticism as several athletes he coached had expressed dissatisfaction and switched coaches after poor track performances.

“It’s the disrespect, as far as I am concerned, Glen Mills is one of the greatest coaches ever,” Bolt told The RJRGLEANER  during an exclusive interview.

“I tell people all the time that anything that coach Mills says, is facts. He has been doing this for a long time, he understands, and he has been coaching before he even ended high school and for me, people need to give credit where it is due.”

Bolt expressed his disappointment over Yohan Blake’s perceived disrespect towards the coach, stating that the athletes had not heeded the advice given by coach Glen Mills. Bolt added that they would not inform the media of their decision to disregard the coach’s guidance.

After the recent Interview by Blake, Bolt seem to have responded on X writing “Sometimes the only success people taste is from taking a bite out of you”~ #SomethingAboutRocks