'Alien' Blake looks to take over the world

André Lowe, Senior Staff Reporter

World 100m champion Yohan Blake is looking to take over the world; in fact, these days, seemingly not satisfied with the 'Beast' moniker, he calls himself an alien, looking to "invade".

No need to cue the Men In Black jokes, however, as Blake, the double Olympic sprint silver medallist and second-fastest man ever in both the 100m and 200m, was simply using the extraterrestrial reference to emphasis his ambitions for the 2013 season.

Speaking to Swedish media outlet SVTplay.se, Blake, outlined his goals for the season, in no uncertain terms - to leave the Moscow World Championships with three gold medals and take over the world - well, the world of sprinting anyway.

"My big goal this year is to retain my title at the World Championships and to win three gold medals there. I have told myself that this year I am going to be an alien because I want to invade; I want to take over the world," Blake declared.

Blake made the most of a Usain Bolt disqualification in the final of the 100m at the last instalment of the IAAF's marquee event held in Daegu, South Korea, winning the gold medal ahead of Walter Dix of the USA and veteran Kittitian Kim Collins.

The 23-year-old went on to post a personal best 19.26 in the 200m and had a stellar 2012, after beating Bolt twice at the national trials, before picking up silver medals in the 100m and 200m at the London Olympics and running the third leg on Jamaica's record-smashing 4x100m relay team. He followed that up with a 9.69 run in the 100m in Lausanne - a time bettered only by Bolt's 9.58 world record.

HISTORY

Blake is well aware that if he is to stave off Bolt and the other threats to his 100m world title this year, he will need to bother the historians, as only two others have managed to win successive 100m gold medals at the World Championships.

American Carl Lewis won three consecutive titles in 1983 (Helsinki), 1987 (Rome) and 1991 (Tokyo), while his compatriot Maurice Greene also boasts a three-peat with wins in 1997 (Athens), 1999 (Seville) and 2001 (Edmonton).

"When I retain my title and become a world champion for the second time, I think that will be a good season," Blake said.

"I can be more than historic because I know what I can do. I have been training really hard and I know what I can do. I am going to be more than historic."