On June 29, 2024, in Kingston, Jamaica, at 01:43 PM ET, Kishane Thompson showcased an impressive victory as the newest 100-meter national champion with a message claiming he slowed down 60 meters into the race yet managed to run the fastest time in the world in two years. At just 22 years old, Thompson won the Jamaica 100-meter national championship with a time of 9.77 seconds on Friday night, positioning himself as a potential Olympic champion alongside his country’s greatest sprinter, Usain Bolt.
After his victory, Thompson revealed that his coach had advised him to only run the first 60 meters of the race and then shut it down. His goal was simply to run a 70 or 60 and assess his performance. Despite being new to running rounds and facing doping control officers after posting a time of 9.82 in his opening heat earlier that night, Thompson outpaced Oblique Seville, a semifinalist at the Tokyo Olympics who had defeated Noah Lyles earlier in the year with his impressive time of 9.77 seconds. This was faster than any other athlete since Fred Kerley’s win at the world championships two years ago.
As the fourth-fastest Jamaican in history after Bolt, Yohan Blake, and Asafa Powell, Thompson expressed confidence in his abilities but admitted he was unsure of his full potential. Despite his remarkable results this year, he remains uncertain about how fast he can go but was not surprised by his performance that night with Bolt’s world record still standing since 2009.
