When you think of Jamaican track and field, Usain Bolt is the first name that pops into your mind, right? And for good reason—he’s “The Thunderbolt” with eight Olympic golds to his name. From 2008 to 2016, Bolt was untouchable in the 100 meters, winning gold at three consecutive Olympics and setting that jaw-dropping world record of 9.58 seconds in 2009, which still hasn’t been broken.
So when Bolt retired in 2017, people started wondering, “How will Jamaica survive without Bolt?” But Ato Boldon, NBC Sports’ lead track and field analyst, had confidence in Jamaican genes, saying, “Somebody’s going to emerge.” And sure enough, a new 23-year-old star stepped up, showing the world that Jamaica’s sprinting legacy was here to stay.
Kishane Thompson was seen as the next big hope to carry on Usain Bolt’s legacy. He’s been making waves, and this year, he really caught the spotlight. But when it came time for the Paris Olympics, he fell just short, losing to Noah Lyles for the gold. Before this, Thompson hadn’t raced at any major global senior events, mostly due to a string of injuries.
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Last year, Thompson only raced in three Diamond League events, finishing fifth in Monaco, second in Xiamen, and fourth in Eugene. His only major international win came earlier this year at the Gyulai Istvan Memorial Continental Tour Gold meet, where he even beat Letsile Tebogo, so he definitely showed promise, but his lack of big-stage experience might have been a factor in Paris.
Kishane Thompson had his chance to make history in Paris, with a world-leading time of 9.77 seconds from Rome, but when it came to stepping up on the world’s biggest stage, he couldn’t quite grab the gold in 100m. It was a tough moment for him, especially with the weight of following in Bolt’s footsteps. Even so, Thompson has often spoken about how much Bolt inspired him.
In Netflix’s SPRINT season 2, Thompson shared how he felt watching Bolt dominate the 2008 Olympics when he was just seven years old: “I was 7 after the Olympics, and I saw what took place. I got a feeling like no other—the goosebumps that filled me up just watching it, and the thrill that… I got to see that a human being can reach that height or pinnacle of greatness. It put profound encouragement in me as a person, knowing that I should aspire to be greater than that.”
And Bolt, who knows the pressure of setting such a high standard, had this to say about the challenge of following in his footsteps: “If you are coming after someone who has set the bar high, it’s gonna be hard. But that’s what we have to do as athletes. You have to set the bar higher because you want them to reach for the stars.” While Thompson didn’t win this time, the future of Jamaican sprinting is still bright, and he’s just getting started. He came oh-so-close to taking the 2024 title when he crossed the finish line neck and neck with Noah Lyles. But why did Lyles still get the win despite both men clocking the same time?
The moment Kishane Thompson almost stole the gold!
The atmosphere in the Stade de France in August was absolutely electric as the men’s Olympic 100m final kicked off in Paris. The crowd was buzzing, the lights were flashing, and the music was pumping. When the starting gun sounded off, both athletes, Lyles and Thompson, burst out of the blocks. Lyles had a bit of a rough start initially. Soon he hit his stride as he surged down the track. Thompson stayed neck and neck with him, motivating and challenging him throughout the race. Thompson pushed ahead at one point with determination while Lyles stood his ground without hesitation and leaned towards the finish line; the race concluded abruptly with a moment of doubt lingering in the air.
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The race ended in a call as officials carefully reviewed the photo finish while the crowd anxiously awaited the outcome. In the end. Lyles emerged victorious with a time of 9.79 seconds, edging out Kishane Thompson by five thousandths of a second in one of the tightest 100-meter Olympic finishes ever seen. Lyles was left in disbelief at his victory. “I went up to Kishane, and I was like, ‘I’m going to be honest, bro, I think you had that one.”
But when his own name appeared, he was in awe. “I’m incredible,” he said, still processing the moment. While this time it was Lyles’ victory, it’s hard to predict what the future holds. As Michael Johnson, the legendary American sprinter, said, “He [Thompson] is the new Jamaican hope for gold.” Perhaps the next Olympic Games in 2028 could be his time to shine. You never know.
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