Kishane Thompson Sets Sights on 100m Redemption in Anticipated  Noah Lyles Rematch

Kishane Thompson

Kishane Thompson Sets Sights on 100m Redemption in Anticipated Noah Lyles Rematch

Festus Chuma 13:18 - 11.04.2025

Jamaican sprinter Kishane Thompson eyes redemption and gold at 2025 World Championships after narrowly missing Olympic victory to Noah Lyles.

Jamaican Olympic 100m silver medalist Kishane Thompson has started laying the groundwork for the 2025 season with eyes firmly on the World Championships in Tokyo this September.

The 23-year-old sprinter, who was a virtual unknown heading into 2024, stunned the track and field world with a breakout performance at the Paris Olympics last August.

Thompson came agonizingly close to Olympic gold in his debut Games, finishing just 0.005 seconds behind American star Noah Lyles.

Despite the razor-thin loss, Thompson has already moved on mentally and is embracing the path ahead.

“It’s gone and passed,” Thompson said in an interview with AFP as per SportMax.

“I can't look back. I mean, I can reflect on my mistakes. I know what I could have done better, what I've done wrong, but it doesn't help if I'm going to be angry. I've just got to accept it and move on. It's forward moving from here. I should say it was a great year,” he added.

Thompson clocked a blistering 9.77 seconds to win the Jamaican Championships, making him the fastest man over 100m in 2024.

“Honestly, it's a big stepping stone. It has a lot to do with my progress to being a better person and a better athlete,” Thompson said.

Under the guidance of renowned coach Stephen Francis — the man who helped shape numerous Jamaican sprint legends — Thompson is adjusting his approach in 2025.

This year, he opened his season indoors, taking on two 60m races including one in Astana, Kazakhstan, where he powered to victory in 6.58 seconds.

He had originally been slated to represent Jamaica at the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China, but ultimately decided to skip the event and double down on his outdoor season preparations.

Even with the changes, Thompson admits the road to Tokyo has not been flawless.

“It's not perfect, the only perfection that I can see is me improving. If it's perfect, you don't have any room for improvement,” he said.

“So that's a thing that I love about it. If it's perfect, it means it has reached its peak. For me, you know, it's always about bettering my best.

“I won’t think about times. I mean, the times are going to come once I listen to my coach’s instructions and do, I won’t say, the perfect race, but the best race at this given moment in my life.

“Japan is the goal where everyone is going for the goal, you know? So that’s the aim,” he concluded.

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