JAMAICA’S Ackeem Blake announced himself to the world with an impressive 9.92 clocking at the Music City Track Festival in Nashville, Tennessee, last week but his time was deemed unofficial and not ratified by World Athletics.

In fact, the official result strangely shows Blake being disqualified, especially when his Coach Michael Frater of Titans International Track Club told the Jamaica Observer that he did not run under protest.

But whatever transpired, the 20-year-old Ackeem Blake has caught the attention of the world and has brought more expectation for a nation still recovering from the retirement of Usain Bolt.

So Blake’s personal best remained at 10.08, which he did twice — first on April 23 in Kingston and last Saturday in the heats at the Music City Track Festival.

“He has improved a lot and I think he will do very well. He has improved a lot this season, and I think he has a lot left in him and I think he can go a lot faster. He just needs to get into the right situation,” Frater noted.

As the saying goes, “speak it into existence”, and just a week later Blake would return and officially dip below the 10-second barrier for his official personal best.

Competing at the New York Grand Prix, Blake was second in the 100m in 9.95 with the slowest reaction time of .152 seconds. American Christian Coleman won in a season’s best 9.92.

It will take a lot for the Hanover native to have a career like the person who his alma mater is named in honour of — Merlene Ottey — but his coach believes he has the tools and attitude to make an impact in international sprinting.

“This little youth good — and I like the country youths that had no pressure from Champs and [who are] basically underdeveloped. So, when he said he wanted to come [to Titans] I gravitate towards him fast,” said Frater, who won 100m silver at the 2005 World Championship.

The promising Blake, who started this year with a personal best of 10.35, has been showing good form since early February in the 60m dash during which he achieved his personal best of 6.61.

“He is simple, a hard-working youth. He crafted the knowledge quickly. He wasn’t broken into any bad habits when he was younger and everything you tell him, he tries to do it,” Frater pointed out.

“He has been very receptive to the training and technique. He has come a long way,” he shared.

Last year Blake failed to make the Jamaican youth team and Frater believed that served as added motivation, and now seeing the results are being seen.

“He is far from perfect but he is improving rapidly. He is just grasping the knowledge and technique that we have been teaching him,” Frater pointed out.

“I am just happy that he is gaining experience and hopefully, he can use this experience to get himself on the team to Oregon,” he added.

“He is way underdeveloped, comparatively, to other sprinters so I think he has a huge upside. He is only 20 years old and I am happy that he has a sub 10,” said Frater.

“I think he can go all the way. He is a genuine, good, hard-working, talented guy and I don’t put limits on him because I have never put limits on athletes.

“I have told him, ‘It’s not about times for the most part but just go out there and win the race; the times will come after that,’ ” Frater disclosed.