YESTERDAY’S stunning events at the World Athletics Championships in Daegu, South Korea reminds us of the uncertain, topsy turvy nature of life.

It also underlines the immense depth in the strength of Jamaican sprinting at this time.

It wasn’t just that Mr Yohan Blake, only 21 years old, stepped up to take the gold medal in the men’s 100 metres, following the shocking false-start disqualification of the incomparable Mr Usain Bolt. He did so following the withdrawal of the iconic, former world record holder Mr Asafa Powell and the non-selection to the Jamaica team of the third fastest man in the world this year, Mr Steve Mullings because of a positive drug test.

For a fourth Jamaican to step up and beat the world in those circumstances is extraordinary. His talent apart, Mr Blake must also be commended for his strength of character and personality which allowed him to shake off the “traumatic” disqualification of Mr Bolt — his esteemed teammate and training partner — and in a matter of seconds refocus completely on the job at hand.

His emphatic victory margin in 9.92 seconds against a head wind of 1.4 metres per second is evidence of the success with which he was able to “switch on” having “blanked out” the Bolt calamity. That capacity is the mark of the great competitor.

Mr Blake goes forward from here, knowing that more glory beckons in the sprint relay later this week, as well as over the medium to long term which will include the London Olympics next year.

Also, we would be remiss not to recognise the role of that great sprint coach Mr Glen Mills of the Racers Track Club. In yesterday’s 100-metre final, Mr Mills’ charges included Messrs Bolt, Blake and Antiguan Mr Daniel Bailey. The admirably durable bronze medallist, Kittitian, Mr Kim Collins was himself under the guidance of Mr Mills in 2003 and 2005 when he was world champion and bronze medallist.

By his work, Mr Mills — as does Mr Stephen Francis of the MVP track club — reinforces the growing reputation of Jamaican coaching and coaching programmes and the value of training Jamaican athletes on home soil.

And what of Mr Bolt? A strong personality who has rebounded from adversity in the past, this newspaper believes he will overcome yesterday’s ‘bitter pill’ to assert his dominance in the men’s 200 metres in Daegu. We suspect his costly error will be a motivating lesson as he looks ahead to London and beyond.

A good that could come of Mr Bolt’s false start would be a recalibration of the rule to take into account the imperfect human condition.

Back in early July as controversy swirled surrounding an alleged false start by Mrs Veronica Campbell Brown at Jamaica’s national championships, we discussed the ‘one strike you are out’ starter’s rule and the possible elimination of a mega star such as Mr Bolt from a major championship event.

“The thought petrifies the mind,” we said then. Regretfully, as if by dictate of Murphy’s Law, that very catastrophe has come to pass.

Ironically, the very commercial interests now rueing the loss of Mr Bolt and what could well have been a sensational contest with Mr Blake, were the ones to trigger the change from the ‘second chance’ rule in early 2003. Back then it was felt that false starts ate up far too much precious television air time.

How the world turns!