Jamaican sprinter Kishane Thompson storms to fastest 100m time in a decade

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New Delhi: Kishane Thompson has reignited the excitement in men’s sprinting with a performance that turned heads around the world. The Olympic silver medallist delivered a sensational run at the Jamaican Championships in Kingston on Friday, clocking a world-leading personal best of 9.75 seconds to win the men’s 100m title.

Even more impressive, Thompson achieved the timing while running into a headwind of 0.8 m/s, showcasing his power and composure on the track. His run is the fastest 100m time recorded since 2015 and now ranks as the sixth-fastest in history, according to World Athletics, placing Thompson in the elite company of sprinting greats.

The 9.75-second sprint didn’t just come out of the blue, as a few hours ago, he registered a timing of 9.80 seconds to advance to the next level. After the triumph Jamaican sprinter was seen saying, “I’m never going to surprise myself, because I know how capable I am. I am very confident; even if I break the world record, it wouldn’t surprise me because I am that confident, and I’m working to achieve all my goals and the accolades.”

Oblique Seville finished second in a season’s second best of 9.83 just getting shy away 0.02 shy of his personal best. 2024 Diamond League champion Ackeem Blake finished third with a time of 9.88. The 22-year-old Thompson’s explosive performance not only extends Jamaica’s proud sprinting tradition but also positions him as a serious contender for the world title later this season. As the global stage prepares for the World Championships, Thompson’s run has firmly established him as the man to watch.

On the women’s front, pre-race favourite Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson was stunned by Tina Clayton, who missed out on the final last year but made amends this year to clock a personal best and win the title with 10.81. Three-time defending champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce finished third with 10.91 seconds.