If there’s one thing that the Jamaicans have always taken pride in, it’s the mettle and the skill that they show on the track. With a long list of stars and accolades, it was no surprise that, come the World Relays 2025 in Guangzhou, all eyes were on them. But once the starting shot was fired, things looked different. The powerhouse team that consisted of the likes of Kishane Thompson and Julian Forte was underwhelming, if anything, on the night that might’ve been their ticket to the World Championships. And the fans were livid about it. But while the whole team faced the ire of their faithful, there was one man who had it the worst. His name? Yohan Blake. But why?

Well, for that, we might need to go back to China, as it’s there that things just went sideways in the men’s 4x100m heat. Julian Forte was running the second leg hard when, all of a sudden, he stumbled and grabbed his hamstring. Yohan Blake, who was up next on the third leg and is a former World 100m champion from 2011, was already moving, getting ready for the handoff. But Forte, slowing down because of his injury, couldn’t get to him fast enough.

And Blake, for some reason, didn’t adjust—he just took off too early. The baton never exchanged hands, and just like that, Jamaica was disqualified. Replays show Forte desperately trying to reach, Blake taking off too soon, and Thompson, the anchor leg runner, left standing there with no baton, no chance to even run. It made you wonder, how could someone as experienced as Blake mess up a handoff that badly?

Naturally, Blake’s mistake came under some serious heat. Getting disqualified meant Jamaica didn’t automatically qualify for the 2025 World Championships. Even Usain Bolt, watching from the side, didn’t pull any punches. “Jah Jah,” he posted on X. Coming from Jamaican Patois, the phrase perfectly captured their disbelief and how let down they felt.

But was this just a one-time bad moment, or does it point to bigger issues for the team? Well, the World Relays mess-up isn’t just about losing a race; it feels like a bit of a blow to national pride. Fans are now up in arms against Yohan.

Fans are dismayed at Blake’s blunder

The fans just exploded, their disappointment quickly turning into real anger. How could Blake, with all his relay experience, mess up something so badly? The reaction was instant and harsh. “Logics would have told Yohan to stay put and wait for the baton,” one fan fumed on X, their words dripping with frustration. Another fan piled on, saying, “Yohan is to be blamed straight up. Julian tried each time. Blake ran away so fast from the baton.”

It was clear the feeling ran deep as fans saw Blake’s error as more than just a simple mistake. For them, it felt like a letdown, almost a betrayal. The disqualification wasn’t just losing a race; it felt like a national blow, and Blake quickly became the one everyone pointed fingers at. Why were the fans so unforgiving? The criticism just kept coming and started targeting Blake’s whole career.

“He tarnished the reputation of the Jamaican Track & Field brand. We are a former powerhouse 😢,” one fan posted sadly like they were mourning Jamaica’s past glory in relays. Someone else vented, “Blake did stupidness; why is he even running?” Blake, at 35, who used to be known for running 9.69 seconds in the 100m and winning Olympic relay golds, was now the center of all this negative attention.

Fans started picking apart his focus, with one person writing, “Blake was not concentrating; if he was, he would have seen Julian struggling. Running away like that is unforgivable. I thought Blake was working his way back on the team.” Did the fans see this as the end of Blake’s time on the team? The angry comments hit their peak with people calling for Blake to be off the team.

“Why is Yohan Blake on the Jamaican Team? He was finished & washed a long time ago…” one fan stated, and you could tell that feeling was shared by more people. While all this was happening, other countries were doing great—Kenya, with Ferdinand Omanyala, had that historic 38.51-second run, and South Africa, led by Akani Simbine, ran a world-leading 37.84 seconds, and the Jamaica Gleaner.

Jamaica’s men’s team just couldn’t get it together, even though the women’s 4x100m and 4x400m teams did get their spots for Tokyo, which was good news, but the men’s failure still hurt. With Thompson looking ready to lead at upcoming meets like the 2025 Athlos NYC, can Blake possibly quiet all this criticism, or will this tough experience be what people remember most about his legacy?