Yohan Blake of Jamaica, who won gold in the men's 4x100-meter relay in the 2012 and 2016 editions of the Summer Olympic Games, said he and China's ace sprinter Su Bingtian have known each other since competing on the track in London 12 years ago and described him as a "really great athlete."

When asked about his compatriot, eight-time Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt, Blake asserted he trained harder than the icon nicknamed "Lightning Bolt." The 34-year-old added that the rivalry between the duo was both fun and tough.

Their rigorous training sessions inspired Bolt to bestow the moniker "The Beast" on Blake, who won the world title in the 100 meters in 2011 in Daegu, South Korea, after Bolt was disqualified due to a false start.

Blake went on to shock his more famous compatriot in both the 100 meters and 200 meters at Jamaica's Olympic trials the following year, before Bolt flipped the script in the finals of both events in London. The duo then teamed up to lead Jamaica to the top of the relay podium in the British capital and again four years later in Rio de Janeiro.

The 34-year-old Su helped China claim bronze in the men's 4x100-meter relay at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics and silver in the same event at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing. He also earned a silver medal in the men's 60 meters at the 2018 World Indoor Championships in Birmingham, England.

Su became the first Asian sprinter to break the 10-second barrier in the 100 meters when he crossed the line in 9.99 seconds in Eugene, Oregon, in May 2015, and later lowered his continental record to 9.83 at the Tokyo Olympics in August 2021.

He returned to action earlier this season after taking a break to recover from injuries, and he hopes to lead China back to the podium in Paris.