Sprinter once tipped as ‘faster than Usain Bolt’ now lives a very different life making a fortune
A Jamaican sprinter who beat Usain Bolt during his career is now living a very different life.
Bolt, 39, remains the fastest man of all time, having registered 100 metre and 200 metre world records – 9.58 seconds and 19.19 seconds – at the 2009 World Athletics Championships in Berlin, Germany.
Since the eight-time Olympic gold medallist’s retirement from sprinting in 2017, no man has registered a time of below 9.75 seconds.
Bolt’s fellow Jamaican Kishane Thompson clocked 9.75 seconds at the Jamaican Championships in 2025, but only one other Jamaican, aside from Bolt, can say they have run below the 9.70 seconds mark.
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And that man is Yohan Blake, who remains the joint-second-fastest man of all time – alongside American Tyson Gay – clocking a time of 9.69 seconds in the Diamond League in Lausanne, Switzerland in 2012.
The 36-year-old also beat Bolt several times throughout his career, including at the 2012 Jamaican Olympic trials. However, the 39-year-old reigned supreme at the London Games that summer, winning gold in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m with Blake part of the Jamaica relay team.
Blake clocked an impressive time of 9.75 seconds in London, but this was no match for Bolt’s 9.63 seconds in the 100 metres.
In the 200 metre race, Bolt pipped Blake to first with a time of 19.32 seconds compared to his compatriot’s 19.44.
And despite holding the title of being the second fastest man ever, Blake failed to win an Olympic gold medal in an individual event due to Bolt’s dominance, having also secured 4x100m gold when he teamed up with his fellow Jamaican at Rio 2016.
The 36-year-old did secure 100m gold at the 2011 World Athletics Championships in Daegu, South Korea. However, Bolt was disqualified due to coming out of the blocks before the gun.
Blake’s last Olympic appearance came at Tokyo 2020 – held in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic – but he failed to qualify for the 100m finals. He did not compete in the 200m but did take part in the 4x100m with the Jamaican team finishing fifth.
So, almost five years on from his final Olympic Games, what is the second fastest man ever doing now?
The former sprinter holds several business interests, including his own brand of purified water called Riviere.
Meanwhile, he also opened a restaurant named The Butcher’s Barrel in Florida back in October of 2024.
Speaking about the restaurant to WSVN in 2024, Blake said: “I always said to my friend, ‘I would love to sit in my restaurant and eat some food.’ I said, ‘Why not put it together and do it?'
“Everyone was thinking I would go off in commentary, you know, in something to do in sports, but I have given track and field 20 years of my life. You know, I need something different.”
Aside from his business exploits, these days Blake still enjoys playing sport, with the Jamaican being vocal about his love for cricket.
When discussing his future during an interview with the Jamaica Gleaner in 2025, the former Olympian explained: “Coaching is not on my mind, not even in track and field. I teach. I go around and I teach.
"I am looking to do some work with Kingston Cricket Club over by Sabina (Park). I started some training with them I am looking forward for the season and couple games have started. But cricket is just for fun and, if it reach further, yes, but as I said, I just want to settle down, build a family, have some ‘me time’.
“It’s been 20-odd years of torturing your body and my body is feeling a lot of pain, still feeling a lot of pain. I will just settle for now.”
He added: “Cricket will always be my first love, of course, because that was what my father always tie me in front of the TV to watch growing up. So it will always be my first love, but I am happy [with] the path that I chose.”
Topics: Usain Bolt, Olympics, Athletics, Cricket, Jamaica
Luke Davies