MONTEGO BAY, St James — IAAF World Championships 100m champion Yohan Blake has apologised for his actions during the playing of the Jamaica National Anthem during the presentation ceremony for the men’s 4x100m relay on Sunday’s final day of the 13th IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea.

The 21-year-old Blake, who won two gold medals at his first major senior championships, has been harshly criticised by a wide cross section of the Jamaican population after he was seen clowning around during the anthem.

Callers to talk shows criticised the former St Jago High runner and questioned his maturity.

Blake, who won the men’s 100m in the absence of defending champion Usain Bolt, ran the third leg of the 4x100m team that clocked a time of 37.04 seconds, erasing the previous mark of 37.10 seconds set by the Jamaicans at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

Nesta Carter ran the first leg, handing over the baton to Michael Frater, while Bolt ran the anchor leg.

In a response through his agent, Cubie Seegobin yesterday, Blake said: “I apologise unreservedly for my behaviour and will ensure it never happens again as I continue to strive to be a good ambassador for Jamaica.”

Blake, who arrived in London with the other members of his Racers Track Club teammates, including Bolt yesterday, said it was never his intention to be disrespectful. “I realise that my actions during the playing of our National Anthem could be interpreted as being disrespectful. This was certainly not my intention as I had only just competed at the very highest level and was still overjoyed because of the overwhelming successes just achieved for my team and country.”

He said, however, that in the future he needs to keep his emotions in check. “Nevertheless I know that my emotions must be kept firmly in check during important ceremonies such as these, which demand absolute adherence to protocol.”

Blake had held his nerves and was a picture of maturity on the second day of the championships after seeing Bolt, his training partner, disqualified for a false start and went on to win the event in a season-best 9.92 seconds into a negative wind.

Prior to this, his only individual medal in an IAAF event was bronze at the World Junior Championships in Beijing, China in 2006.

He will run three more races on the professional circuit before returning home — the 100m in Zurich on Thursday, Berlin on Sunday, before running a 200m in Brussels, Belgium on September 16.