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Your support makes all the difference.Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake says he is not intimidated by having to beat team mate Usain Bolt if he is to win gold in the 200 metres.
The pair train together and are close friends but Blake was beaten into second as Bolt blasted to 100m glory on Sunday and is hot favourite to add the 200m title tomorrow night.
But Blake beat Bolt over both distances at the Jamaican trials in June and will have the chance to put down a marker with his semi-final heat first this evening before Bolt runs in the second. “I’m not really focusing on beating him,” said Blake. “I’m concentrating on running my race. My plan is just to execute. I’m going great and I’ve already got a silver medal.
“I did what my coach said and qualified. I’m feeling good, that’s why they call me the beast. The track is fast and I appreciate anything is possible. The 100m taught me a lot and it’s given me confidence.”
Great Britain’s Christian Malcolm will run in the final heat with the first two set to qualify from the three races along with two fastest losers but the 33-year-old faces a tall order given five of his rivals have run quicker than his seasonal best of 20.46sec this year.
“For me, I always try to make it to the final,” he said. “As you can see, it’s not going to be easy. I always felt like the 200m is going to be a lot more competitive than the 100 and it shows that there is a lot of talent out there. So, I will see how it goes.
“It’s always good to get the first one out of the way. It’s nerve wracking being in the stadium with so many people supporting. But I have hunger for the sport, I love what I do. I feel I’ve got a lot more in my legs.”
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