Ackeem Blake

Ackeem Blake Career

Ackeem Blake got off to an early start to his track career as a promising young athlete. In 2014, still 12 years old, he ran 22.88 seconds into a -2.7m/s wind at the Kingston ISSA Athletics Championships (school championships).  

He dipped under the 10-second marker for the first time in 2018 at the age of 16 when he ran 10.87 seconds at the Kingston JAAA All-Comers Meet. He got his first taste of international success the next year when he finished third in the North American, Central American, and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) U18 championships with a time of 10.41 seconds. This time tied his personal best of 10.41 seconds he set when he won the Jamaican U18 Championships a few months prior.

Blake broke out on the international stage in 2022. The 20-year-old ran under 10 seconds for the first time at the New York Grand Prix on June 12, finishing second behind former World Champion Christian Coleman. He improved on that time less than two weeks later, running 9.93 at the Jamaican Championships for a third-place finish behind Yohan Blake and fellow countryman Oblique Seville.

At the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, Blake ran 10.19 seconds, narrowly missing the final with a fourth-place finish in his heat. His team finished fourth in the 4 x 100 relay. He would drop under 10 seconds again in August, running 9.98 seconds and winning the NACAC Championships.

Blake continued to improve through 2023, breaking the Jamaican record in the 60 with a time of 6.42 seconds at the Gibson McCook Relays in Kingston. He tied his personal best in April with a time of 9.93 seconds at the Miramir Invitational. Shortly after, he ran what would have been a new personal best of 9.87 seconds at the USATF Bermuda Grand Prix, but the 4.4m/s wind was above the allowable limit. He ran a legal 9.89 seconds less than a week later at the USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix.  

At the World Athletic Championships in Budapest, he won his first World Championship medal with a bronze in the 4 x 100 relay.

In 2024, Blake ran 6.46 seconds in the 60-meter to finish third at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow. In August, he tied his personal best of 9.89 seconds at the Silesia Kamila Skolimowska Memorial in Poland.

Despite the disappointment of missing the Olympic final, he would go on to win the 2024 Diamond League Final with a time of 9.93 seconds in Brussels. After the victory, in a post on his X profile, he wrote:

After a devastating exit in the semi-finals at the Paris Olympics. My team and I decided that we must put all our resources into making and taking the Diamond League Final.

Ackeem Blake 2025 Onwards

On May 3, 2025, Ackeem Blake ran a blistering 9.85 seconds in the 100-meter at Grand Slam Miami. The time didn’t count as an official personal best since the wind was slightly over the legal limit at 2.4m/s.

Ackeem Blake finished third at the Jamaican Championships in June to capture a berth at the World Championships and set a new personal best in the 100-meter of 9.88 seconds. He made it to the semi-final in Tokyo, finishing fifth in his race.

Personal Life and Other Facts

Ackeem Blake is sponsored by Puma. He has referred to Jamaican sprint legend Yohan Blake as “his idol.” He works with coach Michael Frater, a former Jamaican sprinter in the same era as Usain Bolt.

FAQS

Where is Ackeem Blake From?

Ackeem Blake grew up in Hanover, Jamaica, and attended Merlene Ottey High. He turned pro after high school, signing a contract with Puma.

Is Ackeem Blake related to Yohan Blake?

Despite sharing the same last name, Ackeem Blake and Yohan Blake aren’t related.

How Fast is Ackeem Blake?

Ackeem Blake has already run some of the fastest times in history, clocking a 6.42 seconds in the 60-meter and 9.89 seconds in the 100-meter. He has also run 9.87 seconds, but the wind was over the allowable limit.