The track and field season is in full flight as the calendar turns to June.
And for Kelowna local Jerome Blake, he has had quite the last two weeks.
On Tuesday May 31, Blake pipped American Elijah Hall at the line of the 200 metre race to claim his first gold since 2019.
Jerome Blake is golden 🥇 at the Golden Spike meet in Ostrava 🇨🇿 today 🙌@JeromeBlake11 finished first in the 200m for the first time this season in 20.14s ⏱👏
pic.twitter.com/0SwD0dWfA7— Team Canada (@TeamCanada) May 31, 2022
The victory at the 61st Ostrava Golden Spike track and field meet in the Czech Republic was a long time coming.
Blake was expected to be a part of the 2020 Olympic team, but amid immense personal pressure that he put on himself, he was not selected for the team.
After refining his body through the offseason, he has come flying out of the gates this season.
Back on May 21, the second Diamond League meet of the season happened in Birmingham, London. Blake trampled his way to a bronze medal in the 100 metres, running a fast 10.02.
Toronto native Aaron Brown claimed the gold, while Olympic gold medalist Andre De Grasse just missed out on a podium placing, finishing fourth.
Canada's Aaron Brown is a Diamond League 100m WINNER! 🇨🇦⚡️
— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) May 21, 2022
With a time of 10.13 the Canadian sprinter wins the Diamond League event in Birmingham, England
Fellow Canadians Jerome Blake and Andre De Grasse finish 3rd and 4th respectively đź‘Ź pic.twitter.com/k2b6Hriftz
The Canadian men won the 4x100m relay with a season best 38.31 seconds, giving Blake his second medal in London.
Other Canadian medalists at Birmingham include Surrey's Django Lovett, who won gold with his 2.28 metre high jump. That was his second consecutive high jump medal, after a bronze in the Diamond League Doha meet on May 13.
SEASON'S BEST FOR THE WIN! 🇨🇦👏
— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) May 21, 2022
Canada's Django Lovett wins the Diamond League - Birmingham men's high jump competition after clearing 2.28m 🙌 pic.twitter.com/s3M581kNZ7
Marco Arop, a local of Edmonton, won his 800 m race, to claim his second straight medal at the event.
The Canadian women's relay team won a silver medal in the 4x100m, with the team of Sade McCreath, Khamica Bingham, Jacqueline Madogo and Leya Buchanan grabbing a season best 43.03 time.
The next Diamond League meet is scheduled for Rabat, Morocco on June 5.
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