Yohan Blake new world champion at 100 m

Yohan Blake is enjoying the extra attention that comes with being the 100 meters world champion and main attraction at the Weltklasse meet in Zurich, Switzerland.

Because Blake’s training partner Usain Bolt is skipping the Diamond League finals event in Zurich, he has center stage for his first race after they helped Jamaica set a new 4×100 relay world record in Daegu, South Korea.

Blake won the 100 at worlds in 9.92 seconds after Bolt was disqualified because of a false start.

Blake’s personal best of 9.89 leaves him well behind Bolt’s 9.58 world record.

“Usain, is the big man so you will always get that, but I’m getting credit where I’m due,” he said, adding that “when Usain Bolt was my age, he wasn’t running times I have run.”

Blake has faced and beated Asafa Powell, the former world record holder.

Bolt is skipping the event, dubbed the ‘world championships in two hours’, having earlier cited his “strenuous schedule” in Daegu.

Still, Weltklasse organizers have attracted the holders of 19 worlds gold medals, 18 silvers, and 15 bronzes to come direct from Daegu to compete at the Letzigrund.

Weltklasse offers quick rematches of several worlds medal showdowns.

Kirani James, the 19-year-old from Grenada, will line up in the 400 meters against the man he dethroned by just 0.03 seconds in Daegu, Olympic champion LaShawn Merritt of the United States.

Jason Richardson of the U.S. can show he is 110 meters hurdles gold medalist on merit against Dayron Robles. The American was unable to celebrate victory on the track as Robles, the Cuban world-record holder, crossed the line first but was later disqualified for holding back Liu Xiang of China in the adjoining lane.

Pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva is on another recovery mission in Zurich after placing just sixth in Daegu. Isinbayeva will face world champion Fabiana Murer of Brazil in a strong lineup.

All eight worlds finalists in the women’s 800 meters, including silver medalist Caster Semenya of South Africa, will meet again.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.