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I can break Bolt's world record - Blake
ESPN staff
January 15, 2012
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Yohan Blake believes he can break Usain Bolt's world 200m record
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Yohan Blake claims his recent success has scared Usain Bolt into training harder, and the Jamaican believes he can break his training partner's world record.
Blake stormed to the world 100m title in Daegu last year after Bolt was disqualified for a false start. Bolt went on to defend his 200m gold in Korea, but Blake has fired a warning to his friend, claiming the 200m is his stronger event.
Blake's personal best of 19.29 seconds (set in Brussels last year) is the second-fastest 200m of all time, and the 22-year-old believes he is capable of bettering Bolt's world record of 19.19s.
"I am the 100 metres world champion, but I am a better 200 metres runner because I have a lot of endurance," Blake told The Times.
"The world record? "Why not? Look back at that race in Brussels. Coach Mills said to me, 'I know what you can do, take it easy on the turn and fly down the straight.' I didn't use much energy. I was comfortable."
While Blake claims he works harder than Bolt in training, he insists the world record holder is not struggling for motivation and believes his work ethic inspires Bolt to train harder.
"He knows I work harder, much harder," he said. "He has said it himself, but now he is training harder, too. He saw what I did and knows what I can do. He knows I have trained assiduously all my life. I know what poverty feels like; I know hunger. And he wants to repeat what he did in Berlin and is working on it."
Kim Collins recently claimed that "two male crabs cannot live in the same hole", referring to the unique relationship between training partners Bolt and Blake, who are both coached by Glenn Mills. But Blake insists he and Bolt are able to work together and spur one another on.
"The truth is we have a wonderful chemistry," Blake said. "We motivate each other. When he sees me doing something wrong, he says, 'Blake, you should try this.' I call him and say, 'Usain, make sure you do your work.' It helps me to have him around and see how he has handled everything. He tells me, 'Blake, forget the people, you do it for yourself when you step on that track'."
© ESPN EMEA Ltd
