Ackeem Blake ready to compete in Oregon

Gregory Little, coach of rising Jamaican sprint star Ackeem Blake, says his young charge is now fully fit and ready to compete at the World Athletics Championships, which will be held in Eugene, Oregon, from July 15-24.

Blake, who is the training partner of 2011 World 100 metres champion Yohan Blake, suffered cramps in his right leg at the end of the men’s 100m final at the National Championships on June 24 after finishing the race in new personal best time of 9.93 seconds.

That time makes him the third-fastest Jamaican this season behind Yohan (9.85) and Oblique Seville (9.86).

Little, who is the head coach of Titans Track Club, says the 20-year-old Blake has been training very well and he is in high spirits. The athlete left the island yesterday for the World Championships.

“The cramps at the National Trials were minor and he is now fully back in training and he is happy and the big Blake (Yohan) is guiding him, so he is looking forward to the World Championships,” said Little.

“He doesn’t know much about the World Championships but he has been on a Jamaica Under-18 team before and he is excited and can’t wait to go there and have fun,” he said.

Little added that he expects the former Merlene Ottey High School starlet to make the 100m final at the World Championships.

“To he honest, we have set up a three-year plan for him and this is his second year at the club and he is really improving a lot because he has been training very hard. We expect him to better his times in Oregon,” he said.

“I believe once he executes well and he does what he’s supposed to do, then he will definitely have a chance of making the final at the World Championships,” Little said.