Yohan Blake suffers hamstring injury

KINGSTON, Jamaica (AFP) –

Yohan Blake is pictured at the Diamond League athletics meet in Brussels on September 7, 2012. Blake could be out up to six weeks after suffering a right hamstring injury during the UTech Classic track and field meet in Kingston on the weekend.

Reigning world 100m champion Yohan Blake could be out up to six weeks after suffering a right hamstring injury during the UTech Classic track and field meet in Kingston on the weekend.

Blake, who won gold in the 100 metres at the 2011 Worlds Championships in Daegu, could miss the Jamaica International Invitational on May 4 and the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Shanghai, China two weeks later, his coach Glen Mills told the Jamaican media.

Midway through his opening 100m race of the season, Blake, who got off to a wobbly start, grabbed his right hamstring before slowing down.

He walked off the track and was met by attendants. He originally thought it might be a cramp.

About 30 minutes after the race, Blake tweeted “am good my twitter family just a cramp.”

Mills though said it was much worse.

“An MRI done Monday afternoon revealed the hamstring injury sustained was more serious than first thought and Blake could be out for several weeks as he recuperates,” Mills was quoted as saying.

The double London Olympic Games silver medalist and second fastest man ever at 9.75 seconds — behind his training partner Usain Bolt — has run several 400m races to start his preparation for the defence of his 100m title.

The 2013 World Championships takes place August 10-18 in Moscow, Russia.