The two-time Olympic champion has made a bold prediction about Ackeem Blake, putting Noah Lyles and other sprinters on notice.
Jamaican-Canadian sprinter Donovan Bailey believes Ackeem Blake is the next big thing as far as sprinting in Jamaica is concerned as he warned Noah Lyles and other sprinters.
Blake broke into the global scene in 2022 when he made the team to the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon competing in the men’s 100m and the 4x100m relay.
In the 100m, he only reached the semifinal while in the relay, Team Jamaica finished fourth. Ackeem Blake then also competed in the men’s 4x100m relay at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
Both Fraser-Pryce & Thompson-Herah were teammates for a long time at MVP under Stephen Francis’ guidance, but their rise to becoming world class sprinters naturally created animosity between the two.
The 2024 season was defining for the 22-year-old who started out his season with a bronze medal at the World Indoor Championships where he finished third behind Christian Coleman and Noah Lyles.
Blake then made the Paris Olympics team and was eliminated in the semifinal of the men’s 100m and was in action in the heats of the men’s 4x100m Jamaican team.
Donovan Bailey believes Blake is slowly coming to maturity following his victory over Coleman at the Diamond League Meeting final in Brussels.
Speaking on his podcast, Bailey, a two-time Olympic champion revealed that he was excited to see Blake finally win something in 2024 after the long season. He added that the youngster is coming out of the shadow and veteran sprinters should beware.
“Ackeem, we are talking about someone who is unknown outside of the track world and obviously as a Jamaican, he was the third best-known Jamaican. Ackeem Blake is someone that has established himself as the best in the world,” Donovan Bailey said.
“I expected that Kishane and Oblique were going to be on the podium but I expected Ackeem to be in the final. Either way, Ackeem clearly, I’m so happy for him. He didn’t make the final but he is still young and working around learning about execution at the highest level.”
)
Olympics champion Noah Lyles decided to end his fiancé Junelle Bromfield’s recent embarrassing experiments by gifting her a Christmas present that solved her woes for good.
Bailey believes that this season promises better for Blake with the World Championships, both the indoor and the outdoor being on the bucket list for him.
“I’m happy that he has ended his season on a high and it’s going to be very interesting what he does next season at the world indoors and outdoors. I’m very happy to see what he did and this is a good look for him,” Bailey said.
This season, Blake will be looking to make a name for himself, first by making the cut to the World Indoor Championships and the outdoor championships as well.
)
From winning medals on the Olympic stage to pursuing Master’s degrees, a list of five of the most educated Olympic athletes who were in action at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
He missed a chance to compete in the 100m in 2023 at the Hungarian capital and this season presents another opportunity for him to race against the stars. The Diamond League Meeting final win gave him the much needed confidence to make 2025 remarkable.
