Jamaican sprint star Kishane Thompson may be enjoying his rise as the world’s fastest man this season, but the 23-year-old insists the best is yet to come.
Fresh from a commanding victory in the men’s 100m at the Prefontaine Classic in Oregon, Thompson was already looking inward, focused less on the win and more on refining the technical details of his performance.
Thompson, who blazed to a 9.85-second finish ahead of Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes (9.91s) and American Trayvon Bromell (9.94s), remains driven by the belief that his true potential lies in perfecting his race execution.
“I’m the only one that can stop me,” Thompson stated with quiet confidence after the race.
A Relentless Pursuit of Perfection
Though he left a stacked Diamond League field chasing his shadow at Hayward Field on Saturday, the reigning Jamaican champion wasn’t entirely satisfied.
Thompson, who has already clocked four sub-9.90 times this season, including a blistering 9.75s at the Jamaica National Championships, emphasized that his focus is on the process, not the stopwatch.
“I don’t say that to brag, but to be honest, once I better my execution, amazing things are going to happen,” he added. “It’s just step by step from here.”
For Thompson, race execution is more than just getting a fast start or a clean finish, it’s about harmonizing every phase of the sprint.
“It’s not just one component, it’s putting everything together, from the start to the finish. Because I can work on one aspect, but if I can’t bring them all together, it doesn’t make sense.”
Chasing Execution, Not Times
Despite growing anticipation from fans and analysts eager to see him threaten all-time records, Thompson made it clear he isn’t chasing specific times. His priority, he says, is mastering his craft.
“Honestly, no,” he replied when asked if he had a target time in mind.
“I’m just trying to enjoy myself. The major thing on my mind right now is perfecting my execution. Once I do that, then everything else will come.”
The Prefontaine Classic served as another valuable test against a world-class lineup, and Thompson welcomed the challenge.
“It was a fierce competition. They ran me to the line, and I’m really appreciative of that. It’s going to help me get better, step by step. This performance proved that, flat speed-wise, I’m good. But to unlock a new level, I have to get the execution together.”
While Thompson didn’t reveal when or where he’ll line up next, he was clear about one thing, his work isn’t done.
“A lot of work goes into running fast to accomplish certain accolades. It’s not just getting up and snapping your fingers. It’s work, mental and physical. You’ve got to trust yourself, trust the process, trust your team, and trust the coach.”
As the 2025 season heats up and the track world keeps its eyes on this rising Jamaican force.
