Blake targets double at Beijing World Championships

[April 09, 2015]  By Kayon Raynor
 
 KINGSTON, Jamaica (Reuters) - Double Olympic sprint silver medalist Yohan Blake is targeting a podium finish at this year's world championships in Beijing after recovering from hamstring surgery, though his management team still have no definite date for his return to competition.

"I'm pretty confident with that (recovery) and how I'm training now, I really think I can get back there, so right now I'm not worried," the 25-year-old Blake told Reuters in Kingston on Wednesday of his aspirations for the Aug. 22-30 championships in China.

"Based on how my training is feeling right now, I would like to attempt the (100-200) double at the national trials," he added of the June 25-28 national championships.

"I don't know what the coach has in mind, but that's what I feel and training is going really well and I just hope he gives me his blessing for that."

The Jamaican, who is the joint second fastest man over 100m with 9.69, suffered the hamstring injury at the Glasgow Grand Prix last July and his manager Cubie Seegobin is impressed with the pace of his recovery.

"I've watched him train and I've seen the times and the progression and like I've said, we are ahead of ourselves," Seegobin said.

"Maybe in May or June we'll see something (on the track), but I think our long term look is maybe for Rio (2016 Olympics) and I would be pleasantly surprised about a lot of things before then."

While also satisfied with Blake's progress, coach Glen Mills, who also conditions six-time Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt, is not setting any timeline for his competitive return.

"We don't have a planned time to say that he would start competing in the months' time or two weeks' time," Mills said, while adding he is being monitored in two distinct phases of preparation.

"One is the rehabilitation and developmental stage and the other is the competitive training that he has to undergo to be able to compete and that is a different level of intensity.

"When we reach that (level) it'll give us a better indication of what is happening."

(Editing by Greg Stutchbury)

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