Bromell thanks Bolt, Blake for encouragement
Published:Sunday | January 9, 2022 | 12:12 AMHubert Lawrence - Gleaner Writer
THE INCOMPARABLE Usain Bolt and 2011 World 100m champion Yohan Blake have helped American Trayvon Bromell overcome the most difficult times in his athletics career.
Their support led Bromwell to tell the British journal ATHLETICS WEEKLY that he has ‘a lot of love from Jamaica’.
Now 26, Bromell finished the 2021 season as the fastest 100m man in the world, at 9.76 seconds. He went to the Tokyo Olympics with the best time – 9.77 seconds – before the Games, but bombed out in the semi-finals. He told ATHLETICS WEEKLY he was “emotionally broken” and that Blake went to console him.
“It’s been humbling and an honour for them to even support me, and they’ve helped me through hard times. After the Games, Yohan came and sat down with me in Tokyo and told me how proud he was of my comeback,” the journal reported Bromell as saying.
Sensational as a junior, Bromell tied for third place with Canadian Andre deGrasse in the 100 at the 2015 World Championships behind Bolt and Justin Gatlin. In the following campaign, he edged Jamaica’s Asafa Powell to win the 60 metres at the 2016 World Indoor Championships and, at just 21, he reached the Olympic 100m final. Then a nagging Achilles tendon problem pulled the brakes.
2021 RESURGENCE
He didn’t come back to high speed until 2021, and it didn’t go unnoticed. Blake, who has suffered his own fair share of injury troubles, told ATHLETICS WEEKLY, “For Trayvon Bromell to come back from those two Achilles injuries and run the times that he has is immaculate for him.”
The resurgent American beat 10 seconds 8 times in 2021, with three runs under 9.80, the time produced by Italian surprise, Lamont Jacobs, to win in Tokyo.
Despite his Olympic disappointment, Bromell is grateful to be back on track.
“After having all those injuries and battles, coming back and competing at a high level was big for me. One day, I’ll look back and know that I had the strength to fight through the toughest of times. So it was good to just be an advocate for people that want to keep pushing to obtain their dreams,” he stated.
He said his link with the legendary tall man from Trelawny and with Blake has helped him.
“I’ve got a lot of love from Jamaica. I’ve got a real strong connection with both Usain and Yohan. I’ve talked to both of them during this process when I’ve been coming back,” Bromell reported to ATHLETICS WEEKLY in an interview posted to the journal’s webpage on January 4.