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Blake signs lucrative multimillion dollar deal with Adidas
KAYON RAYNOR, Senior staff reporter raynork@jamaicaobserver.com
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
NATIONAL junior 100 metres record holder Yohan Blake has signed a lucrative five-year contract with Sportswear Manufacturing company Adidas.
Highly placed Observer sources indicate that the 19-year-old Blake, who trains along with world 100m and 200m record holder Usain Bolt at the Racers Track Club, signed the lucrative deal two weeks ago in Kingston.
2006 World Junior 100 metres bronze medallist Yohan Blake produced 46.80 seconds in the 400m on his professional debut at the Camperdown Classic in Kingston last Saturday, after signing a five-year contract with Sportswear Manufacturing company, Adidas two weeks ago. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)
According to the source, who requested anonymity: "The deal which is valued in the region of US$1 million over five years, allows for the 2006 world junior 100m bronze medallist to pursue his education for five years."
Blake, who established the national junior record of 10.11 seconds in 2007 at the Carifta Games while attending St Jago High School, started his professional career by clocking a personal best 46.80secs in the 400m at Saturday's Fifth Camperdown Classic at the National Stadium East Track.
"It's looking good, 46.80 is my fastest time ever in the 400m... it's looking good for the future," Blake told the Observer after the race, noting that he is looking forward to his professional career under the guidance of Glen Mills.
"It has been beneficial for me (training at Racers Track Club) because Usain Bolt is a fast guy and running with a fast person, you get to develop your speed more and under the guidance of a good coach, coach Mills, it's definitely good," added the sprinter, who skipped his last year of eligibility for the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys' and Girls' Athletics Championships.
Quizzed about his aims for this season, the sprinter, who is the 20th fastest Jamaican man of all time, replied: "You'll have to talk to the coach about that because I am just using this year to build because I'm (still) young right now."
Blake, who was being conditioned by St Jago coach Danny Hawthorne up to last summer's 12th IAAF World Junior Championships (WJC) in Bydgoszcz, Poland, joined the Racers Track Club in October last year.
Prior to his fourth-placed finish in the 100m in Poland, Blake retained both the Boys' Class One title at Champs and the Under-20 crown at the CARIFTA Games in Basseterre, St Kitts/Nevis.
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KAYON RAYNOR, Senior staff reporter raynork@jamaicaobserver.com
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
NATIONAL junior 100 metres record holder Yohan Blake has signed a lucrative five-year contract with Sportswear Manufacturing company Adidas.
Highly placed Observer sources indicate that the 19-year-old Blake, who trains along with world 100m and 200m record holder Usain Bolt at the Racers Track Club, signed the lucrative deal two weeks ago in Kingston.
2006 World Junior 100 metres bronze medallist Yohan Blake produced 46.80 seconds in the 400m on his professional debut at the Camperdown Classic in Kingston last Saturday, after signing a five-year contract with Sportswear Manufacturing company, Adidas two weeks ago. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)According to the source, who requested anonymity: "The deal which is valued in the region of US$1 million over five years, allows for the 2006 world junior 100m bronze medallist to pursue his education for five years."
Blake, who established the national junior record of 10.11 seconds in 2007 at the Carifta Games while attending St Jago High School, started his professional career by clocking a personal best 46.80secs in the 400m at Saturday's Fifth Camperdown Classic at the National Stadium East Track.
"It's looking good, 46.80 is my fastest time ever in the 400m... it's looking good for the future," Blake told the Observer after the race, noting that he is looking forward to his professional career under the guidance of Glen Mills.
"It has been beneficial for me (training at Racers Track Club) because Usain Bolt is a fast guy and running with a fast person, you get to develop your speed more and under the guidance of a good coach, coach Mills, it's definitely good," added the sprinter, who skipped his last year of eligibility for the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys' and Girls' Athletics Championships.
Quizzed about his aims for this season, the sprinter, who is the 20th fastest Jamaican man of all time, replied: "You'll have to talk to the coach about that because I am just using this year to build because I'm (still) young right now."
Blake, who was being conditioned by St Jago coach Danny Hawthorne up to last summer's 12th IAAF World Junior Championships (WJC) in Bydgoszcz, Poland, joined the Racers Track Club in October last year.
Prior to his fourth-placed finish in the 100m in Poland, Blake retained both the Boys' Class One title at Champs and the Under-20 crown at the CARIFTA Games in Basseterre, St Kitts/Nevis.
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