by Deji Ogeyingbo
This is Deji Ogeyingbo’s piece on Kishane Thompson, the male sprinter who fascinates all of Jamaica! The purple track in Paris will be quite busy from August 1-11, 2024.
Kishane Thompson is a complete talent and ready to make Jamaica smile again
Jamaica knows how to make good sprinters.
If Kishane Thompson already stands out for his superb display of sprinting in the last two months, consider his evolution. It was as recently as July 2023 in which he ran his first sub-10-second race over the 100m at the Jamaican trials that the world began to take notice of his sprinting prowess. It was short-lived. He didn’t show up for the remaining rounds which meant he was going to miss out on the world championships in Budapest.
Maybe it was too early, because of a precaution that meant he could get injured running rounds or his coach Stephen Francis aka ‘Franno’ felt the world wasn’t ready to witness his greatness. It’s hard to gauge now. All we know for sure is he ran in some low-ley international meets for the first time in his career before going on to end his season with a fourth-place finish in the Diamond League final in Eugene with a then Personal Best of 9.87s.
Less than a year later, Thompson is the talk of the town. He burst out at the 2023 Jamaican trials piecing together a series of 9.82, 9.84, and 9.77s to win the men’s 100m, notable against Oblique Seville- the man that has held the forth for Jamaica on the global scene by reaching the final of the last two major championships.
Kishane Thompson powers to a massive personal best and world lead of 9.77 to wins the mens 100m trials. He finishes ahead of oblique seville who did 9.82 and ackeem Blake finished third in 9.93 pic.twitter.com/dhtjeDVftC
— Track & Field Hub (@trackshub14) June 29, 2024
Fourth was not enough for the Island nation, they were spoilt by the likes of Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake, and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, all of whom have reached or reached the pinnacle of what sprinting is in the world by breaking all sorts of records and winning multiple global championships. One moment, you are enjoying being at the top of the A-league, the next- or in this case seven years, you are struggling to make the playoffs in the C-league. Life happens as they say. But not for too long.
Thompson seems to have come out of nowhere. Or did he? They call him Asafa Powel 2.0 mainly due to their similar running style. Thompson is far more than just a sprint phenom at this point. He is destined to be one of the stars of the Olympics, especially since the men’s 100m final is the most sold-out event. His presence alone is enough to instill fear even in the heart of the defending world champion, Noah Lyles.
Those who have anticipated his rise for years are proud, as it seems he has been preparing for this moment all year. His primary focus is on the 100m, but it’s only a matter of time before he sets his sights on the 200m. Given Thompson’s complete talent, he will likely evolve to compete in both events at international meets. For now, he’s dominating the 100m, and the impact of his performances is all the more impressive. Let’s not jump ahead just yet.
After he put the sprinting world on alert, he tested his strength against two of Africa’s finest sprinters, Akani Simbine and the precocious Letsile Tebogo at the Continental Tour Gold in Hungary. Thompson not only took them to the cleaners, but he eased off with about 10m to go and still had time to look on each side of both sprinters’ lanes clocking a time of 9.91s (-0.6). This is pure dominance and cockiness at its peak.
The stakes are higher than ever for the men’s 100m!
The fastest men in the world will be vying for the title of ‘Olympic Champion’ and ‘Fastest Man in the World’ in 2025.
Who’s your pick for #Paris2024? pic.twitter.com/fTKs9VHjls
— RunBlogRun (@RunBlogRun) July 22, 2024
Can he afford to do it against Lyles? The chances are we will not find out until the Olympics. There are striking similarities in their running styles. They stand out as the only two sprinters with proper lift angles, drive phases, knee action, and patience. However, Thompson’s larger and stronger physique allows him to apply more force.
Thompson has mastered what the very best sprinters in history have been able to do, leveraging innate strength to outperform rivals. By adhering to a biomechanical approach rather than relying solely on talent, Thompson has honed his technique to an unparalleled level. All thanks to his coach. No doubt, this positions him as the frontrunner for Olympic Gold in Paris.
Thompson possesses the start of Christian Coleman, the running technique of Asafa Powell, the finishing of Noah Lyles, and the aura of Usain Bolt. His unique blend of these exceptional qualities makes him a standout in the world of sprinting.
Jamaica, what have you birthed? This extraordinary talent is set to dominate the track, continuing the legacy of Jamaican sprinting excellence.
