The 22-year-old Jamaican sprinter clocked an impressive 9”77 over 100m, the fastest of the year.
Kishane Thompson revealed himself with a very fast time of 9”77 (0.9 m/s wind) over 100m on Friday in Kingston at the Olympic selections of Jamaica, which is still looking for a successor to the legend Usain Bolt. The eternal Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (37 years old) qualified for her 5th Olympic Games in Paris but without shining, taking 3rd place in 10”94 in the 100m final dominated by Shericka Jackson (10”84, -0.3 m/s).
Unknown to the general public, Kishane Thompson qualified at 22 for his first international competition, by hitting the track with the fastest 100m of the season in the world, erasing the 9”79 of Kenyan Ferdinand Omanyala two weeks ago in Nairobi. In 9”77, Thompson also became the 9th fastest man in the history of the straight line behind five Americans and three Jamaicans, including the legend Usain Bolt and his world record (9”58 in 2009). The Jamaican short sprinter has not won an international title in the men’s category since Bolt retired in 2017.
In a very fast race on Friday, Thompson beat Oblique Seville (9”82), 4th in the Worlds last year, and Ackeem Blake (9”92) who will accompany him to the Paris Olympic Games (July 26-11 August) to hope to launch a new era. The new champion from the Caribbean island is a member of the historic MVP Track Club group, led by Stephen Francis, former mentor of Asafa Powell and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce at the start of his career. Thompson had not raced all season before shining in the Jamaican selections (9”82 in the playoffs on Thursday, then 9”84 in the semi-final earlier on Friday). Last year, he withdrew before the semi-finals of the selections for the World Championships in Budapest despite a great series (9”86). A time that he confirmed later in the season in the Diamond League in Xiamen (9”85) then in Eugene (9”87).
This year I trust my body and my coach, last year I was less confident.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
In the absence of the double reigning Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah, injured, the women’s race was dominated by the double world vice-champion in the 100m Shericka Jackson ahead of the young Tia Clayton (19 years old, 10”90) and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. “This year I trust my body and my coach, last year I was less confident. I’m happy to have won, I just hope to stay healthy. I haven’t run much this season (only one 100m before the selections), it’s okey for me. I have a month left to prepare.”commented Jackson (29), bronze at the Tokyo Games in 2021, at the microphone of the organizers.
Fraser-Pryce, 2008 and 2012 Olympic champion in the straight and Jamaican sprint legend, did not seem at ease in the final after having run a heat (10”98 Thursday) then a semi-final (10” ’91 Friday) convincing, where she did not seem to strain her talent. “It’s great to be able to do this for so long, after all the obstacles I’ve encountered. I’m not having an easy season, but I came here with determination to give myself a new opportunity at the Olympics.”her 5th, commented Fraser-Pryce, who has always brought back at least one medal from her Olympic events (8 including 3 titles in total).
The Jamaican rockets will meet in Paris with the flamboyant American Sha’Carri Richardson, world champion last summer in Budapest, who made a strong impression during the US trials last week (10.71) and will seek a first Olympic podium.
