Blake sends message to Bolt with third-fastest 100m time in history in Lausanne

The Beast: Jamaica's Yohan Blake celebrates after winning the men's 100m race in Lausanne

Yohan Blake ran his quickest 100 metres on Thursday night to go level with American Tyson Gay as the second fastest man of all time but revealed he was not at his best.

‘I have been sick all week, thank God I recovered,’ Blake said.

His time of 9.69sec in the Diamond League meeting in Lausanne matched Gay’s time from 2009 and is bettered only by his training partner Usain Bolt.

Can't catch me: Blake (right) beats American Tyson Gay (left) to the finishing line

Gay was second in 9.83sec but there was a metre and a half between him and the Jamaican.

‘I have more races and I am going to get better and better,’ Blake added, but he will not be in Birmingham to compete at the Diamond League meeting on Sunday. His manager said he had been ‘insulted’ with an offer of only $40,000 to race.

He will have earned more than three times as much for last night’s fastest ever 100m in the Pontaise Olympic Stadium.

Bolt declines to compete in Britain outside of the Olympics because tax laws would cost him more than he would be paid. Blake will also stay away because he is not paid enough.

Strike a pose: Blake joins his pal Usain Bolt to celebrate their victories in the Diamond League

At a canter: Bolt crosses the finishing line to win the 200m in front of Jason Young and Nickel Ashmeade

Round the bend: Bolt is flanked by Warren Weir (left) and Wallace Spearman on his way to victory

The question that remains after the race was how much closer to Bolt’s world record of 9.58sec a healthy Blake can run in Zurich next Wednesday.

‘I saw him in training and I knew he was going to run fast,’ said Bolt, who had been watching with other sprinters preparing for the subsequent 200m. Bolt won that at a canter in 19.58sec.

Too quick: Ryan Bailey, Nesta Carter and Jaysuma Saidy Ndure can't keep pace with Blake

Centre of attention: Olympic 100m silver medallist Blake was top dog in the absence of Usain Bolt

The outstanding British performer was Olympic high jump bronze medallist Robbie Grabarz, who equalled Steve Smith’s British record of 2.37 metres to finish third behind Barshim Ahmed, who jumped 2.39m, and Olympic champion Ivan Ukhov, who had fewer failures in clearing 2.37m.

Lawrence Okoye may have taken a step closer to deciding not to abandon athletics for rugby union when he was runner-up to world No 2 Gerd Kanter with a throw of 65.27m, the sixth competition this year in which he has exceeded the world-class distance of 65m.

Daily Mail