Usain Bolt Loses To Yohan Blake In 100m Final

Yohan Blake Beats Usain Bolt Again In 200m Jamaican Trials

Yohan Blake's victory over Usain Bolt in the 100 meters was no fluke: The pair went head to head again in the 200, and Blake again beat the man who cemented his place as the world's fastest at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Bolt no longer seems the runner he was in Beijing. He has suffered setbacks since false starting at last year's World Championships. But it's still a surprise to see Blake come out and beat Bolt, fair and square, in back-to-back races.

Here's video of Blake's run. It comes with a Jamaican announcer:

As you can see, this wasn't a blowout: Blake only edged Bolt by .03 seconds, finishing in 19.80 to Bolt's 19.83. But the gauntlet has been thrown by Blake, a legitimate competitor for Bolt's crown. Now, the question seems to be less whether Jamaica will win gold and silver in London and more whether Blake can edge Bolt again on the big stage.

For more on the 2012 Summer Olympics be sure to stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated London Olympics 2012 hub.

VIDEO: Usain Bolt Beaten By Yohan Blake At Jamaican Olympic Trials

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On Friday evening in Jamaica, the Jamaicans held their version of Olympic trials for track and field to determine their teams. While everyone expected the "world's fastest man," Usain Bolt, to come away in first place in the 100m, he struggled to get off the line in each of his races and was beaten out by Yohan Blake in the men's 100m finals as you can see in the video below.

Bolt has been slow off the start since his false start in the 2011 World Championships, and it is clearly impacting his races. In the semifinals, Bolt was able to run down his competition, but he couldn't overcome Blake, who finished with a time of 9.75, the fourth fastest time in the world for the men's 100m.

For more on the 2012 Summer Olympics be sure to stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated London Olympics 2012 hub.

Yohan Blake Wins 100m Finals At Jamaican Olympic Trials, Usain Bolt Second

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There are some interesting 2012 Olympic trials going on throughout the world, including on the island of Jamaica, where Usain Bolt attempted to qualify for the Jamaican men's Olympic team and defend his 100m men's gold medal.

Bolt struggled in the semifinal round, getting off to a slow start off the gun, but took the lead on the final step, running a dreadfully slow (for Bolt) 10.01 seconds. In the finals, Bolt once again got off to a poor start and couldn't overcome Yohan Blake, taking second place.

Blake won the men's 100m event with a time of 9.75. Bolt came in second place while Asafa Powell came in third. Blake's 9.75 time in the 100m places him fourth all-time in the 100m. Bolt, who holds the record in the 100m with a 9.58, has been struggling since his false start in the 2011 World Championships.

It's Bolt's first loss in the event since 2010.

For more on the 2012 Summer Olympics be sure to stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated London Olympics 2012 hub.

Usain Bolt Runs 10.01 In 100m Semi-Finals, Asafa Powell Turns In 9.96

The fastest man in the world looked anything but Friday night.

Running in the semi-finals of the 100 meters at the Jamaican National Senior Championships -- Jamaica's equivalent of Olympic trials -- Usain Bolt got off to a terribly slow start and never was able to fully recover, finishing in 10.01 seconds. By comparison, his world record is 9.58, run in 2009.

Bolt was in last place at the 20-meter mark and while he won the semi, he didn't take the lead until the final step. Sports Illustrated's Tim Layden called it ""Ugly, ugly, ugly."

His two biggest competitors, Asafa Powell and Yohan Blake, were both in the first semi-final. Powell won in 9.92; Blake was second.

So what's wrong with Bolt? Maybe nothing. But there is speculation that his false start in the 100m at the 2011 World Championships is still in his head, making his starts even slower than usual.

The 100m finals at the Jamaican trials is scheduled for 10:25 p.m. Saturday night.

Usain Bolt Cruises In Preliminary Heat, Eyes 100m Finals Friday Night