It seems an utterly ridiculous statement to make about a young man who has just reached the pinnacle of his career and won the blue-ribboned event at the World Athletics Championship, but i do have an overriding sympathy for Blake today. The fact that the world's media are mostly concentrating on the world's arguably greatest athletics star in Usain Bolt, false starting in the 100 metres final and briefly giving a mention that Blake is the World Athletics 100 metres champion, says it all really. The "Winner By Default" badge was virtually pinned on the Jamaican vest of Blake the minute he crossed the line.
Let's get one thing straight, Yohan Blake is World 100 metres champion and deserves to be 100 metres champion. He did not false start and he beat the six remaining men who lined up in the final after Bolt's disqualification fair and square, no arguments. I am an absolute believer in the fact you can only beat what is put in front of you. It is not Yohan Blake's fault that the likes of Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell didn't even make it to the start line in Daegu and Bolt inexplicably false started in the final.
Let's get another thing straight as well, Bolt has no one else to blame for today's events other than himself. He knows the rules and if you have one strike you are out as they say. Bolt made an error of judgement without question today, whether it is due to not being focused enough as Michael Johnson suggested or just the fact he is actually human like everyone else on this planet. Who knows whether this moment will reignite his motivation to be the world's best and destroy the opposition in London in 12 months time. Whatever the case, athletics fans got a nasty shock watching the 100 metres final today and they did not like it. Calls for this one false start to be scrapped have been coming in thick and fast after fans have felt robbed of seeing Bolt fly down the Daegu track in a very quick time, no doubt having time to have a cup of tea before anyone else finishes.
And there's the point! With this one chance saloon in athletics we will never actually know what would have happened if Bolt did run that race. We could all summise what would probably have happened though, and that will virtually always detract from the fact Yohan Blake is the World 100 metres champion. Were we really having that many false starts in athletics to merit this false start and you're out rule? Is there no way to take into account mitigating circumstances, such as nerves, background noises and do a two false starts and you're out rule? Whatever the case, public opinion seems to be thinking that the IAAF have dug themselves in a hole with this rule, and have lost the chance to attract more spectators and audiences to athletics through its world' biggest star in Usain Bolt, by depriving them of the opportunity to actually see him race.
I reiterate though none of this really matters, because the fact remains Yohan Blake is the World 100 metres champion 2011 fact. Get over it!
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