Francis eager to see Thompson's performance in Olympic debut

MVP coach Stephen Francis says he is eager to see how national 100-metre champion Kishane Thompson handles himself in his Olympic debut.

Francis was speaking at the Complexe sportif de l'Ile-des-Vannes after training today where Thompson, reigning world 200-metre champion Shericka Jackson, Tia Clayton, Janeek Brown, Tajay Gayle and other athletes were present.

Thompson enters Paris as the world leader, clocking 9.77 seconds at the national championships in Jamaica last month.

He has only raced once since the trials, but Francis said he wants to see how Thompson manages the Olympic stage.

"Everybody knows how he has done, his times. I can't predict what he is going to do. Just to say that I don't think that anybody has seen him run at his maximum. So we will see if that is going to happen this Olympics and how fast that will be," Francis said.

Thompson is one of the contenders for the title, which has not been won by a Jamaican since 2016.

Meanwhile, Francis said that, to his knowledge, Jackson appears fine ahead of her attempt at the Olympic sprint double. Jackson pulled up during a meet in Europe earlier this month.

"That is something that you are going to address with her medical personnel. But as far I know she looks OK to me," Francis said.

The first round of the women's 100 metres begins on Friday while the first round of the men's 100 metres begins on Saturday.

- Daniel Wheeler

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