This is Deji Ogeyingbo’s feature on Olympic 100m silver medalist Kishan Thomson and the young Jamaican’s expectations for his homeland.
Kishan Thomson, the Olympics and the season that changed everything
The men’s 100m is one of the most watched events at the Olympics. Paris was no different. All you do is run less than ten seconds and you’re home and dry. It’s so simple, but it’s not. In the French capital, eight men lined up for one chance at glory, and it eventually went to Noah Lyles.
All kinds of distance records were set in Paris. I just wanted to let you know that I won’t bore you with all of that just yet. After all, the numbers weren’t so great for non-purists. The talk was mostly about how Usain Bolt made the event look so easy compared to how they had to wait a few seconds before deciding who was the winner between Lyles and the new kid on the block, Keeshan Thompson.
Thompson is set to become the sport’s next global superstar after Usain Bolt. The Jamaican was undoubtedly the bookies’ favorite for the 100m. His world was about to change. Take Locasius Lyles and the world will be his. It is commonly said that it takes an Olympian four years to train for a 10 second sprint. Destinies and big sponsorship deals depend on how you execute those moments.
And to be fair to Thompson, he was ready to take the Gold. He had defeated all the runners who reached the final until Paris, except the Americans. Letsile Tebogo, Akani Simbine and even his compatriot Oblique Sevilla could not win the race against him. His confidence was through the roof at that point. The problem, however, was that he had yet to face any of the Americans, especially when the stakes were high.
It’s an old cliché, but it’s true: time and work are of the essence. Lyles and Fred Curley have been doing it at the highest level for a long time; there is a synchronicity and chemistry in what they do that multiplies how well they manage to control their nerves and execute their race flawlessly. It sounds simple, but when you break down the race and how Lyles put in the best performance, you realize that lack of experience played a role in Thompson’s ability to take gold in Paris.
The new Olympic silver medalist has no regrets after running one of the fastest 100m finals in Olympic history in front of a lively crowd at the Stade de France in Paris 2024. Referring to the race, he said: “I wouldn’t do anything. . I don’t see it as something to redo. I made a mistake and I have to admit it and move on. There is no turning back.”
The situation Thompson finds himself in is in stark contrast to where Lyles currently finds himself. Competing in her first Olympics and a major championship, Thompson should have the experience of racing in front of more than 70,000 spectators. Being coached by Stephen Francis, one of the most successful sprint coaches of this generation, mitigates some of the challenges, with Thompson’s age and inexperience being significant factors. Furthermore, many of his abilities have yet to match Lyles, highlighting the disparity between the two athletes.
The question is how Thompson is going to take this loss forward. He has consistently shown to be a 9.7 runner on his good day. No one is going to take that away from him. Of all the athletes on the grid, perhaps only Lyles can run those times consistently. Some might even throw Curley into the mix. One thing is for sure, though, this experience will do him a world of good.
Thompson’s challenge is quite unique, even more so than the obstacles faced by previous Jamaican sprinters such as Usain Bolt and Johan Blake. These athletes have set high standards and the expectations from the Caribbean are relentless. While there may be some softness on Thompson now, anything less than gold in the future will likely be seen as a disappointment.
