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Thompson has been blighted by injuries for most of his career and nearly pulled out of the 100m final at the Paris Olympics - which he won the silver medal - after feeling something in his hamstring.
Kishane Thompson's coach, Steven Francis, has disclosed a carefully crafted strategy aimed at ensuring the reigning Olympic silver medalist reaches his full potential in the remaining years of his career.
Thompson has been plagued by injuries over the past few seasons, which have kept him out of major competitions, including the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
Thompson's struggles with injuries date back to his high school days, where various issues, including shin splints, hindered his performance.
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14:10 - 22.08.2024
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These problems even prevented him from showcasing his talent at Jamaica’s premier high school event, the renowned ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Athletics Championships in 2018.
This season, Thompson has shown remarkable form, winning the men's 100m at the Jamaican Olympic trials. He set the tone with a 9.82-second win in the preliminaries, followed by a 9.84-second semifinal victory. He then stunned the athletics world with a world-leading time of 9.77 seconds in the final.
At the Paris 2024 Olympics, Thompson clinched a silver medal, narrowly losing to the USA’s Noah Lyles by just a thousandth of a second. However, as Francis revealed, this incredible achievement almost didn't happen.
Thompson was battling a hamstring issue that arose shortly after his semifinal win, which significantly affected his performance in the final.
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21:47 - 21.08.2024
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In a candid interview with Nationwide FM before the games, Francis discussed his approach to optimizing Thompson’s career while managing his fitness challenges. He emphasized the importance of a cautious and calculated training regime, designed to extend the athlete's longevity in the sport.
“Almost everybody we have had at MVP has managed to last a long time because we do not just hope you avoid injuries, we take steps to make sure that if he gets injured, we can correct the previous situation, and we run our training in such a way that the athlete is the boss of whether or not he or she can continue,” Francis explained.
He further highlighted the importance of communication and injury prevention within his training philosophy: “You always make sure you tell them that in any sign of stress, you report it to somebody, that will keep them healthy.”
Francis also noted that Thompson's cautious return to form was deliberate and necessary.
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15:00 - 21.08.2024
Noah Lyles credits unique approach for edge over Kishane Thompson in Paris
American sprinter Noah Lyles has revealed his psychological approach and race tactics that secured his narrow victory in the 100m at the Paris Olympics.
“I am sure under most other coaches, Kishane would have been running a long time ago, last year, the year before, but our system requires us to be super cautious and know that this is not the end of the world. In the future, we will expect the athlete to have a good career.”
As Thompson continues his journey towards the Paris 2024 Olympics and beyond, Francis' meticulous approach offers hope that the talented sprinter will not only overcome his injury woes but also fulfill the immense potential he has always shown.
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