Usain Bolt will face stiff challenge from Blake: Holmes

British two-time Olympic gold medallist Kelly Holmes feels that sprint star Usain Bolt will face a tough fight from his 22-year-old Jamaican teammate Yohan Blake to win an Olympic 100 and 200 metres double in London.

Holmes, who won the 800 metres and the 1500 meters title in 2004 Athens, feels Bolt is head and shoulders above the rest and is confident that the Beijing Games gold medallist will blow away the field if he is in perfect shape.

"I think everybody is really looking forward to the men's 100 metres with Usain Bolt as the showcase event. Usain Bolt is head and shoulders above the rest. Providing he doesn't false start, he's injury free and healthy, I think he'll blow the field away," Holmes was quoted as saying by a website.

The 42-year-old, however, feels that Bolt will face some serious competition from Blake in the 200 metres.

"But in the 200 metres he's definitely got to watch out because Yohan Blake has run the second fastest time in the world. I think on his day he could give Bolt a run for his money," she said.

Holmes also tipped British stars Rebecca Adlington (800 metres freestyle swimming) and Chris Hoy (cycling) for Olympic glory and hoped South African double amputee Oscar Pistorius, also known as 'Blade Runner', would double up at 400 metres in the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

"The great thing about the Olympic Games is that new stars are born, people that you know are not in the public eye right now. So there will be brand new people that even I probably would never have thought would step up to the plate," she said.