Kishane Thompson wins Jamaica Olympic Trials 100m in world’s best time since 2022

A Jamaican may go into the Paris Olympics as the world’s fastest man in 2024.

Kishane Thompson, 22, won the Jamaican Olympic Trials 100m in 9.77 seconds, the world’s fastest time in two years.

Thompson prevailed in his first career senior national championship final in Kingston, Jamaica, on Friday night.

He was followed by Oblique Seville in 9.82 and Ackeem Blake in 9.92 with a .9 meter per second tailwind.

Seville, fourth at the 2023 World Championships, ran 9.82 in Kingston for the second time this month. He also did so on June 1 to defeat reigning world champion Noah Lyles.

Lyles won the U.S. Olympic Trials 100m in 9.83 seconds last Sunday in Eugene, Oregon, tying his personal best time.

The only man in the expected Paris Olympic field with a faster personal best than 9.77 is American Fred Kerley, who ran 9.76 in June 2022.

At the July 2023 Jamaican Championships, Thompson won his first-round heat in 9.91 seconds, lowering his personal best from 10.18, according to Tilastopaja.info.

Thompson did not run the semifinals or final of that meet, withdrawing as an injury precaution, according to Jamaican media.

Later in September, Thompson ran 9.85 and 9.87 at Diamond League meets. He finished the year ranked fifth in the world by best time.

Thompson tore a quad in January and “had a continuous shin problem” for the last few years but has been pain-free recently, coach Stephen Francis told TV Jamaica before trials.

“If he manages to survive this thing next week (trials), then I think he will really be ready to run at the Olympics,” Francis said.

Thompson opened the Jamaican trials by running 9.82 in Thursday’s heats.

Now he will go into the Olympics looking to win Jamaica’s first men’s 100m medal at a global championship since Bolt’s last individual race at the 2017 World Championships.

Also at the Jamaican trials, two-time world 200m champion Shericka Jackson won the women’s 100m in 10.84 seconds, followed by 19-year-old Tina Clayton (10.90) and 2008 and 2012 Olympic 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (10.94). They are expected to make up the Jamaican women’s 100m team in Paris.

Two-time reigning Olympic 100m champion Elaine Thompson-Herah withdrew before trials due to injury and will miss the Paris Games.