YOHAN Blake, the 2011 World 100m champion, said he plans to start the 2024 season much earlier than usual as he aims to maintain a solid, consistent form throughout the campaign — which he hopes will earn him a place on Jamaica’s team to next Olympic Games in Paris.

Blake, who turns 34 in December, failed to secure a spot on the country’s team to the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, after false-starting in the semi-finals of the men’s 100m event at the National Championships in July.

The powerfully built sprinter, who will be aiming to compete in his fourth Olympic Games, recently left the Gregory Little-led Titans International Track Club and is now being conditioned by former national sprinter Micheal Frater.

Blake told the Jamaica Observer that, despite his age, he still has a lot left in his tank and will therefore be pushing himself to the limit next season in order to be among Jamaica’s top sprinters in 2024.

“I was really consistent this year but I didn’t get the nines (sub-10). And with the changing of clubs, Coach Mikey [Micheal Frater] didn’t want to stay out too long because he wanted to keep me sharp, and so I am looking forward to this Olympic Games,” said Blake.

“I know that I still have a lot left in me, based on how I was running, and so it is just to get my last part of my race fixed — and once I do that, then everything should fall into [place] next season,” he opined.

Blake failed to run a sub-10 time this year as he was the ninth-fastest Jamaican with a season’s best 10.01. Kishane Thompson was the fastest Jamaican in the world in 2023 in the 100m event with 9.85 over the distance.

Blake is the second-fastest man ever in the 100m, with 9.69 seconds behind his compatriot and former club teammate Usain Bolt (9.58). He won two silver medals in the 100m and 200m at the London 2012 Olympic Games, both times finishing behind the legendary Bolt.

Blake pointed out that he is still disappointed that he failed to hit the sub-10 mark in 2023, and said he will be working hard to make sure that he achieves this target in 2024.

“The plan is definitely to be on the sub-10 level so I have changed how I train right now and I have changed my fitness coaching…so this season is going to be a lot different for me,” he said.

“I definitely will be starting the season much earlier because I haven’t taken much time off, I haven’t taken much rest, and so I just want to stay sharp so that I can start the season at a very high level,” Blake shared.

He stated that he has got over the false start from the National Trials and is looking forward to a very successful season.

“I am feeling [good] and my body is in good shape but I must say that the false start was one of the worst things that ever happened to me at the National Trials, because I cried. But, I got back on my feet and I was very consistent throughout the season,” Blake ended.