Black Immigrant Daily News

EUGENE, Oregon: After another tough result at a major championship, 32-year-old sprinter Yohan Blake didn’t make himself available for an interview after failing to advance out of a semifinal heat in the men’s 100m on day two of the 2022 World Athletics Championships at Hayward Field on Saturday.

“Not in the mood,” Blake told Loop News in the mixed zone. When pressed further, the 2011 world champion, who won silver at the 2012 Olympics, said he would make himself available after a change of clothes before walking into the post-event control room.

He was noticed speaking to himself and shaking his head while looking at a monitor inside the post-evet control room before making his exit.

Blake finished his semifinal race in fourth place in a time of 10.12 seconds, 23 days after he turned back the clock at the Jamaica trials to win the 100m in 9.85 seconds, his best time since 2012, when he beat Usain Boltat the Olympic Trials, took second to Bolt at the Olympics and became the second-fastest man in history at age 22.

His time of 10.12 seconds was the ninth fastest in a field of 23 competitors, meaning that he just failed to secure the eighth and final spot for the medal round.

It was the second straight time that Blake failed to click in a global championship. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which was staged in 2021, Blake also failed to qualify for the final after clocking 10.14 seconds to finish sixth in a semifinal heat.

Yohan Blake’s countryman, the promising 20-year-old Ackeem Blake is also out after finishing fourth behind inform USA sprinter Fred Kerley in the second semi-final heat.

Kerley, who ran a sensational heat-winning 9.79 seconds in round one on Friday, came through the semifinal with ease in 10.02 seconds. Ackeem Blake clocked 10.19 seconds.

Oblique Seville will be the lone Jamaica in the final, which is scheduled for later tonight. Seville won his semifinal race in 9.90, the quickest time going into the final at 9:50 pm Jamaica time.

Kerley led a quartet of US sprinters into the final. Marvin Bracy (9.93), Trayvon Bromell (9.97), and defending champion Christian Coleman (10.05).

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Veteran entertainer and emcee Mac Fingall carried out his last duties as emcee last night at the First Citizens/Digicel De Big Show tent.

While hosting De Big Show tent last night, Fingall took a moment to share his intention to make the night’s show his last as MC.

“There comes a time when you just have to stop. You can’t continue all the time. I made a decision that this tent tonight is my last,” he said to the audience.

Fingall went on to reminisce about his start in the Untouchables Calypso tent alongside then tentmate, Red Plastic Bag, who coincidentally also made an appearance on the night.

As he made the announcement, members of the audience could be heard begging him to reconsider but Fingall went on to explain: “I did 40 years. I enjoyed it with you and I enjoyed it all to the max. We had the Untouchables Calypso Tent that we formed back then and it worked well. There were times that it was hard and sometimes I could not get creative. [I] could not write and then, fortunately at Lodge, I could get long leave and that helped me get myself back together.”

He indicated that he realised it was becoming a little harder for him to do what he did and so he had made the firm decision to call it quits. As he sat perched on one of the black monitors on the stage, applause erupted from the packed auditorium in appreciation.

Fingall, who is known for his witty humour which leaves audiences in stitches, did not disappoint last night as he hosted the calypso tent in the auditorium of the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre. He was in fine form as MC.

In addition to his customary humorous banter with audience members, he also performed two songs on the night. He started the first half with Ent Got Nothing and in the second half, he performed a catchy Blues-inspired Somebody Knows for the judges which chronicled a break-up with a lover who wished to reunite.

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Defending women’s 100m World champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce had the fastest qualifying time of the four Jamaicans through to the semi-finals, three of whom won their heats, at the World Athletics Championship in Eugene, Oregon on Saturday.

Fraser-Pryce cruised to 10.87s in her heat and is looking to add a fifth 100m World title to her impressive collection.

Shericka Jackson, who won both the 100m and 200m at the Jamaica National Trials in June, was also impressive as she strolled to 11.02s to win her heat.

Shericka Jackson (right) won her heats in 11.02s. (Photo: Marlon Reid)

Double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah also had a lot left in the tank as she bounced to victory in her heat in 11.15s.

The other Jamaican, Kemba Nelson, who finished third at the Jamaica trials, was third in her heat in 11.10s and also advanced to the semi-final round.

The semi-finals and final will be run on day three, Sunday, and Jamaica is holding its collective breath that the trio of Fraser-Pryce, Thompson-Herah and Jackson can repeat the podium sweep they had at last summer’s Tokyo Olympics.

Double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah looked impressive in her win. (Photo: Marlon Reid)

The Jamaicans will have to work overtime, however, to repeat the feat and Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith has signalled that she intends to be on the medal podium. She laid down a blistering season’s best 10.84s to win her heats.

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Rising star Oblique Seville is the only Jamaican man to qualify for tonight’s final of the men’s 100m final in Eugene, Oregon.

Seville won heat 3 in 9.90s to claim an automatic spot in the final. He held off the American Marvin Bracy who finished second in 9.93s. Canada’s Aaron Brown was third in a season’s best 10.06s.

The veteran Yohan Blake who had returned to form when he won the 100m at the Jamaica trials in June in 10.85s, his best time in ten years, was unable to recapture that form.

Yohan Blake failed to make the final after finishing fourth. (Photo: Marlon Reid)

He placed fourth in his heat in 10.12s and failed to advance. That heat was won by the South African Akani Simbine in 9.97s, the same time with which the American Trayvon Bromell was credited for third.

The other Jamaican, the 20-year-old Ackeem Blake was fourth in his heat in 10.19s.

Race favourite, the American Fred Kerley won in a reserved 10.02 with his countryman Christian Coleman second in 10.05.

Ackeem Blake also failed to make the final. (Photo: Marlon Reid)

Four Americans have made it through to the finals and analysts have predicted a podium sweep. However, a confident Seville is looking to give Jamaica its first World Championship medal in the event since 2017.

The final is at 9:50 tonight.

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