Breaking world record ‘wouldn’t surprise’ Thompson - After blazing 9.75 at Puma JAAA National Championships

KINGSTON:

Olympic silver medallist Kishane Thompson sent shockwaves through the sprinting world on Friday night, storming to a world-leading 9.75 seconds to win the men's 100m at the Puma Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association National Junior and Senior Championships at the National Stadium.

The electrifying performance not only secured his national title, but also marked the fastest time in nearly a decade, since 2015, and propelled him to sixth on the all-time world list.

The 24-year-old had already signalled his dominance in the semi-finals, clocking a then-world-leading 9.80.

But in the final, Thompson left no doubt, surging ahead of a stacked field with a display of sheer speed and confidence.

"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," he said.

"I'm working to achieve all my goals and the accolades," Thompson told reporters after his impressive run.

Behind Thompson, Oblique Seville, a finalist at the last three global championships, shook off pre-race discomfort to take second in a season's best of 9.83, just 0.02 off his personal best.

Meanwhile, 2024 Diamond League champion Ackeem Blake claimed third in a new personal best of 9.88.

With Thompson now firmly in the conversation as a potential world-record threat, all eyes turn to the upcoming World Championships in Tokyo in September, where Thompson says he still believes he has a few things to work on.

"Sprinting is not just running, as many people believe. There are a lot of technical things that you have to work on to get it right. I still believe I have some tweaks that I can do to kind of get that perfect run."

- CMC