Jamaica’s Yohan Blake doubtful for sprint relay final at IAAF Worlds

Yohan Blake didn’t feature in the Jamaican men’s 4x100 metres relay quartet -- Tyquendo Tracey, Julian Forte, Michael Campbell and Usain Bolt -- which clocked 37.95 seconds, the third fastest time, to advance to the final at the IAAF World Athletics Championships.

Jamaica’s Yohan Blake is a doubt for the 4x100 metres relay final at the IAAF World Athletics Championships and will be assessed by medical staff before Saturday’s final, head Coach Maurice Wilson said.

Yohan Blake of Jamaica has not been able to train at full pace in the lead-up to the 4x100 metres final at the IAAF World Athletics Championships, which will be Usain Bolt’s last on the track. (Reuters)

Blake has not been able to train at full pace in the lead-up to the race, which will be sprint great Usain Bolt’s last on the track.

“Well I cannot speak definitively on it until I have had conversations with the medical staff,” Wilson told Television Jamaica.

“The possibility exists that we may have some niggles.”

The coach was asked whether Blake had trained with the team in relay practice on Saturday.

“Well he did some hand offs today at about half-pace and we’re expecting that if there is a problem he’s a professional athlete, he’s an experienced athlete; he will have that conversation with the medical staff, he will also be examined by the medical staff if there is a problem,” the coach said.

The Jamaican men’s quartet of Tyquendo Tracey, 100m semi-finalist Julian Forte, debutant Michael Campbell and 11-time world championship gold medallist Bolt clocked 37.95 seconds, the third fastest time to advance to the final.

The US team featuring Justin Gatlin and Christian Coleman, logged a world leading 37.70 seconds to win the first heat, followed by Britain on 37.76 seconds.