Jamaica's Yohan Blake is congratulated by Trinidad and Tobago Olympian Ato Boldon after winning the Carifta Games Under-20 boys 100 metres in 10.11 seconds on Saturday night at the Turks and Caicos National Stadium. Blake's coach, Danny Hawthorne, stands in the background. - Anthony Foster photo

Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer

YOHAN BLAKE, the new national sprint sensation, is looking to break the World Junior Record over 100 metres at the Pan-American Games in Brazil later this year.

Blake erased Raymond Stewart's 23-year-old national junior record of 10.19 seconds on Saturday night when winning the respective heats (10.18) and final (10.11) at the 36th Carifta Games inProvinciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, on Saturday night.

Trinidad & Tobago's Darrell Brown currently holds the World Junior Record of 10.01 seconds, achieved in Paris four years ago.

"Probably I will get the World Junior Record this year at Pan-Am because there are going to be American guys, the fastest guys that are here, so I can get a fast time there, especially if the track is good," said Blake.

He added: "Next year I am definitely going to replace that record, it may be 9.99, who to tell."

He warned the world that his best for this season is yet to come.

"I am not fit as yet because I have classes in the evenings, two days a week, and that is taking up most of my training time. I don't start to do weights as yet."

The 18-year-old St. Jago High School student believes he will be in Osaka for the World Championships.

"I am going to make the side (World Championships)," he said.

Coach support

His coach, Danny Hawthorne, who was in charge of Nicole Mitchell when she was the fastest junior female, backs Blake to achieve his goals because "he is a hard worker".

"He is a very tenacious person, he works very hard, so what he is achieving now it's no surprise to me," admitted Hawthorne, who also coaches the football team at St. Jago.

"I am happy that I have a male and female who have done (junior sprint record) it in that respect," he added.

Blake was special on Saturday night, starting from the heats when he got out slow, but recovered quickly to stop the clock in 10.18 seconds. However, if that was special, the 10.11 in the final was more superb as the entire stadium, most of which included Jamaicans and Bahamians, was on its feet trying to get a full view of history.

He was delighted to break Stewart's record and when he heard how long the record had existed, he said: "I feel really good, 23 years, even older than me, I feel really good in myself."

Stewart, who saw Blake at Champs, said: "I am happy for the kid." He, however, expressed surprise that the record had stood for so long.

"I figured that as time went by someone was going to break it, based on how these kids are running," he added.

"I look at records as a challenge, it's there for persons to challenge them," he said.