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• “I went to the hills and cried for two weeks after that”- Blake reflects on dark days after devastating hamstring injury in 2014

  Most track and field athletes would have quit the sport years ago if they had gone through the injury struggles endured by Yohan Blake.

  The youngest World 100m champion in history had the prime of his career significantly affected by a number of injuries, none more devastating than a torn hamstring he sustained at the Glasgow Grand Prix in 2014.

  Blake felt a sharp pain during the 100m race that was initially diagnosed as a cramp but, upon further evaluation, was determined to be a hamstring tear so bad that his muscle actually came off the bone.

  Blake had to have surgery where they re-attached the muscle to the bone using aluminum, causing him to miss the rest of the 2014 season.

  During the most recent episode of Out D Blocks on the Sportsmax.tv YouTube Channel, the 2012 double Olympic silver medallist reflected on his immediate reaction to the injury.

  “When that happened to me, I went into the hills for two weeks. No one knew where I was and I cried,” Blake said, noting that he naturally had doubts about every returning to his old form.

  So how did he get out of this funk and decide to move forward? Self-affirmation is how.

  “I finally talked to God and said listen, you are the second fastest man on the planet. What are you doing?”

  “I talked to Brigitte (Foster-Hylton) because she had the same injury and came back and won the World Championships. I talked to my manager and my team and came back and started to do little training and felt more confident,” Blake added.

  Fast forward 10 years later, Blake, now 34, just had a season to forget on the track by his standards.

  He had a 100m season’s best of 10.16 done in May and failed to make Jamaica’s team to the 2024 Paris Olympics.

  Nagging injuries was the main contributor to his lack of success last season according to Blake, with even the injury suffered back in 2014 still affecting him to this day.

  “I still struggle with a lot of injuries,” he said.

  “Last year, I tried to change up my routine being more specific in my lifting and my running and I got some aches and pains, even from my previous injury when my muscle came off my bone and they had to re-attach it with aluminum so it’s a bit rigid. It bothers me a lot,” he added.

  In a lot of situations with athletes who suffer major injuries, they are able to put out full effort in training but once they get into the competition, a metal block affects their performance due to a fear of getting hurt again.

  Blake says this has also affected him since the injuries.

  “It has. Training with Glen Mills, before I left, he said to me ‘Yohan, if you’re going out there with that mindset, it’s better you stop,’” he said.

  “From that, I changed my routine. You’re still going to pick up niggles along the way and the wear and tear of the body. Usain said ‘Yohan, when you reach a certain age you’re going to feel this.’ A lot of times when I was training with Usain, he started to feel some pain and everything and he’d tell me I’d feel some of these pains and I shrugged it off because I was young and I finally understand what he meant,” he added.

  As previously stated, athletes who have suffered the injuries he’s suffered usually don’t last as long in the sport as he has.

  With all the injuries, Blake still holds the title of second fastest man to ever walk this earth.

  “Thank God for what I have achieved because not many persons in the world can say they have achieved what I have achieved,” he said.

  “There comes a point in time when you understand, even though you have people saying quit or stop, those are the things that drive me. You can’t tell me to quit. They can’t tell me to quit. They can say anything but they can’t make me quit. I have to make me quit,” he added.

   

• Positive vibes: Sunshine Girls shooter Amanda Pinkney remains upbeat despite tough going in Fast5 tourney

  Amanda Pinkney’s pride in representing Jamaica is always clear, but for the goal-attack and her Sunshine Girls teammates, this Fast5 Netball World Series is especially meaningful.

  For one, it is the first time many of the players are representing the island on the world stage, and while their chances of making the podium have evaporated after three opening defeats, Pinkney, who was a member of the team that placed fifth at last year’s tournament, believes they have enough quality to end on a high.

  Pinkney’s team, which lost 19-39, 15-35, and 25-33 to New Zealand, England, and South Africa in that order on Friday’s opening day, will have Australia and Uganda to contend with in two more fast-paced encounters on Saturday that will demand every ounce of strength and strategy the team has cultivated.

  “There’s nothing like the energy of representing Jamaica on a big stage, especially after the long international break. We’ve all worked hard individually to get here, and you can feel the chemistry building. So even though the results didn’t go our way on the first day, we gave it our best,” Pinkney told SportsMax.Tv from the team’s base in Christchurch, New Zealand.

  

  “I always say that my biggest accomplishment is being able to represent Jamaica on the world stage because, in doing so, I can contribute to our team’s successes, like medaling at major tournaments. That is something I hold close to my heart, and I was hoping we could have medalled here; but again, things haven’t gone our way so far, and we will have to give it our all to overcome the challenge in the next two games,” she added.

  Although the odds may seem daunting, the young and fairly inexperienced Jamaican side—fielding seven debutants—has shown flashes of their resilience and skill, particularly in their last contest against South Africa, a performance they will aim to build on in the last two games.

  Australia are so far unbeaten, while England, South Africa, and New Zealand have won two matches each. Jamaica and Uganda are winless.

  “Fast5 challenges us to be sharp, quick, and strategic, and going up against top teams really motivates us to give our best. We’re all driven to not only compete but to showcase our unique Sunshine Girls style,” Pinkney said.

  “So now it’s just about executing better than we did in the first three games. That performance against South Africa is a good marker for us to work from, and so if we stay focused and play to our potential, I believe we have a great chance to at least finish with two wins,” she noted.

  

  That said, the 24-year-old, who has tallied 28 goals in the tournament so far, has her sights set on a broader legacy in her career that she said has been shaped by both triumphs and trials.

  However, these experiences, for Pinkney, have not only developed her skills but also instilled in her a deep resilience.

  “Experiences, whether good or bad, have made me stronger because I view every situation as an opportunity to learn and grow, so I’m still in a good space mentally, and I know my teammates are too,” the bubbly player, who was a part of the historic CAC Games gold medal win last year, shared.

  “I want to continue growing as a player and contributing to Jamaica’s success of being identified as a dominant force in netball and also, hopefully, to inspire the next generation of players. So I will take the lessons from this Fast5 tournament and keep pushing myself, improve my game, and aim to make my family and country proud in every tournament we play,” Pinkney ended.

• Jamaica's Sunshine Girls struggle on opening day at Fast5 Netball World Series

  Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls faced a tough opening day at the Fast5 Netball World Series on Friday, as they lost all three of their opening encounters, but will be hoping for better fortunes on Saturday’s final day in Christchurch, New Zealand.

  The young, relatively inexperienced Jamaican squad—fielding seven debutants—was visibly affected by the high-stakes atmosphere, showing early jitters and struggling to find their usual rhythm. Their opponents—New Zealand, England, and South Africa—capitalized on the team's early nerves and shaky play to clinch solid 39-19, 35-15, and 33-25 wins.

  In their first game against the host nation, New Zealand, Jamaica faltered under the pressure and succumbed to a 20-goal blowout. The Sunshine Girls’ normally steady ball movement and confident shooting were absent as they grappled to find cohesion on the court before Amanda Pinkney eventually scored 13 goals and Simone Gordon, six.

  New Zealand, buoyed by their home crowd, put Jamaica on the defensive from start to finish, with Martina Salmon scoring 17 goals, while Maia Wilson and Saviour Tui had 11 goals each.

  

  Jamaica’s next matchup, against England, unfolded similarly as the shooting struggles persisted, and unforced errors cost them valuable scoring opportunities and inevitably resulted in another 20-goal defeat. Pinkney again led the way for the Jamaicans with nine goals, while Shadine Bartley had the other six.

  England’s disciplined defence and polished offensive execution widened the gap, as Harriet Jones hit a solid 13 goals from as many attempts, with support from Sophie Egbaran (8 goals), Paige Reed (8 goals), and Sophie Kelly (6 goals).

  However, the Jamaicans returned for their final game against South Africa determined and refocused, and it was evident in what was their best showing of the day.

  The Sunshine Girls appeared more positive and organized across the court, as they found moments of fluidity in their movement and delivered some confident shots, giving fans a glimpse of the team's potential.

  

  Despite ultimately falling short by eight goals, they had much to smile about as this time it was Bartley that led from the front with 12 goals, supported by Kestina Sturridge (7 goals) and Pinkney (six goals).

  South Africa used their experience to good effect, as Zandre Smith scored 18 goals and Kamogelo Maseko had a perfect seven goals from seven attempts. Rolene Streukter, also scored seven goals, with Lefebre Rademan getting the other goal.

  With the first day out the way, the Jamaicans will be hoping for better fortunes on the second day as they face reigning champions Australia, who are so far unbeaten in the tournament, and Uganda. However, fatigue could set in as playing fast-paced games involving four six-minute quarters against five of the world’s best teams is by no means easy.

  Those games are scheduled for 6:00pm and 10:30pm Jamaica time.

  NB: Fast5 action can be seen live on SportsMax and the SportsMax app.