Yohan Blake

 

The Beast raced to victory with a personal best of 9.69 seconds at the Diamond League Meeting in Lausanne tonight.

American, Tyson Gay just could not keep up – finishing second in 9.83 seconds with Nesta Carter in third at 9.5 seconds.

It was the third fastest time ever ran at the meet making Blake a well deserved Lollipop Champion.

Having stayed in the shadow of double Olympic champion, Usain Bolt the other Jamaican was able to take centre stage in the 100m sprint. Whilst Bolt took gold in the 200m.

So is this a sign of things to come in the next IAAF World Championships and Olympic games?

With Bolt unsure what his main event will be in four years time as he juggles between the long jump or the 400m. Will Blake finally become the star of the 100m like he was earlier this year in the Jamaican Olympic trials?

Throughout London 2012 he was seen as Bolt’s biggest threat but perhaps we should distance him from his training partner and see him as the upcoming champ.

At 22, this was the  first time he competed at the Olympics for his country. Rio 2016 will be his peak games. Which means his national junior record for the 100m,  two individual silvers and this victory tonight is only the start of his race.

“I have more races and I’m going to get better and better.” Blake told BBC 3 after his win. Lollipop and I wouldn’t want to disagree with the Beast.

Of course if it doesn’t all work out he has cricket to fall back on.

Playing for the Kingston Cricket Club in the athletics off-season and specialising as a bowler – Blake rang the bell at Lord’s Cricket Ground, London to signify the start of the Third Investec Test Match between England and South Africa.

He was the first non-professional cricketer/ Lollipop champ to do this.

 

 

 

 

 

Michael Laudrup

It’s only just begun. But already Dane, Laudrup is the most successful new Premier League manager and Lollipop’s new champion.

He watched his Welsh side thump Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road as new Spanish signing Michu and Swans winger, Dyer both scored twice.

Michu’s opening 25-yard shot was the highlight of the game. He quickly followed up with a top corner finish set up by team mate Wayne Routledge 8 minutes into the second half.

QPR were well beaten before Dyer and Scott Sinclair scored the final three that gave Laudrup a fantastic start to his new managerial role.

The delighted former 48-year-old footballer said: “’I think it is very important for a small team to start the season winning an away game. I think that’s very important.”

Indeed it is. But with such a resounding start could Laudrup be the one to turn small into great Swans?

As a retired Denmark national footballer who has played for both Barcelona and rivals Real Madrid – no wonder Laudrup see’s Swansea as a small team.

Before joining the Welsh team he managed RCD Mallorca– a struggling Spanish side which was suffering from losing many first team players and was ejected from the Europa League due to bad finances,

He saved them from relegation in their 14th consecutive season in the top division.

So with the Swans wanting to improve from their 11^th place finish last season and avoid the bottom half of the league, Laudrup seems like the perfect replacement to keep them afloat.

With such a surprise start his side are streaming ahead rather than keeping afloat. But like Lollipop and I first said its only just begun. Whether he’ll become a hero like Brendan Rodgers is yet to seen.

Oribe Peralta

It was the biggest shock Wembley and Lollipop had seen at London 2012. Brazil. Favourites from the start. Kitted in Gold. Poised to win- were stunned by two goals from 26-year-old Peralta.

The Mexican scored the fastest goal ever in a FIFA tournament final – also thought to be the quickest in Olympic history – after just 28 seconds.

Poor defending from the five time world champions left Peralta unmarked as he headed in his second goal.

Despite first half substitute Hulk scoring in stoppage time and new Chelsea signing Oscar heading the ball just wide – Mexico were unbeatable.

Peralta became the top scorer for Mexico with four goals in the tournament, two of which secured the Gold medal.

As a striker for Santos Laguna in the Mexican Primera División, Peralta was already a national star. And finally Wembley got to see him shine.

Football is not the most heralded Olympic sport but it can showcase great unknown talent. With only three over-23 players allowed per squad allowed the rest of the team must be under 23 years old,

So Peralta is one of the mature players having made several appearances for his national team.

The stage did not faze him. Nor did an arrogant Brazil. His experience and skill won Mexico their first gold medal at London 2012.

They move up to 37^th in the Medals table after that shocking American derby. Will Wembley ever see Peralta play again?

Who knows Lollipop. But London 2012 has made him a momentary international name. Waiting to figure in next season’s Premier League- maybe?

Sally Pearson

Australia finally has something to cheer about. Pearson became their second gold medallist of the day winning the 100m hurdles by just two hundredths of a second.

Lollipop’s champion of day 11 beat reigning US champion Dawn Harper with an Olympic record time of 12.35 seconds.

But it wasn’t just this result that got us talking about the Aussies. Track Cyclist Anna Meares triumphed over our poster girl Victoria Pendleton in the Women’s Sprint Finals after the Brit was disqualified for riding out of the sprinting lane.

Both Golds move the Australians into 11^th in the medal table giving Aussies everywhere some much-needed belief.

Australia entered London 2012 with a goal of 46 medals including 15 golds and a place in the top five. So far they have four golds. At one point their rival neighbours New Zealand surpassed them on the Medal table.

But we think their first track and field gold of the Olympics was a great achievement for Pearson no matter what goals were set.

The 25-year-old hurdler previously won a World gold a year ago in the middle of a long unbeaten run..

She then  ran the fastest time of the year – 12.49 seconds – at the Australian Olympic trials and also took gold in the 60-meter hurdles at the 2012 world indoor championships.

Now she has bettered her silver in Beijing four years ago.

Her screams when she realised she’d won shocked my Lollipop and showed just how much it meant to her and Australia.

After the failure of their men’s 4×100 swimming relay team to win a medal was described by one newspaper as “the biggest defeat since Gallipoli” Australia needed a champion.

And they didn’t just get one but two today.

Let’s hope Pearson’s success  can re-inspire a nation in the days to come.

Serena Williams

What’s left to achieve for Serena Williams?

Lollipop and I simply don’t know. Her women’s doubles title with fellow champion sister Venus Williams made her the second woman to complete the Golden Slam — winning the Olympics and the four major titles.

The sisters broke the Czech duo- Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-4 under the Centre Court roof on a rainy afternoon at the All England Club.

They won the first set in 51 minutes and broke at 2 sets all in the second to become the first champions to win tennis doubles gold three times.

After her previous Women’s Singles gold Williams said: “I have singles, doubles, actually everything there is to win in tennis. Where do I go from here?”

To Rio for the next Olympics maybe? Neither 30-year-old Serena and 32-year-old Venus are showing any intentions of retiring before then.

After taking gold at Sydney, Beijing and now London at the Women’s Doubles the champions will of course want to defend their title.

Whether they ever decide to leave the game that made them we’ll never know.

Serena’s next test will be at the US Open. Having won the title three times and in such great form you don’t quit when you’re this good.

Her two medals edges Team USA closer to 1^st spot in the Medal Table at 27 gold’s – just behind a dominant China with a growing 30.