Paris, France – Trinidadian track icon Ato Boldon has declared Jamaican sprinting star Kishane Thompson as the frontrunner to clinch the 100m gold at the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris.
At just 23 years old, Thompson has taken the track and field world by storm, currently leading the world rankings in the event.
Thompson’s rise to prominence was cemented when he clocked a personal best of 9.77 seconds to secure the 100m title at the JAAA/Puma National Senior Championships held at the National Stadium in Kingston in June. His stellar performance included impressive times of 9.82 and 9.84 seconds in the heats and semi-finals, respectively. Most recently, Thompson showcased his dominance by winning at the Gyulai Istvan Memorial in Hungary with a time of 9.91 seconds.
“Thompson is the favourite,” the four-time Trinidadian Olympic medalist asserted during an interview with LetsRun.com on YouTube. “I know Noah [Lyles] is the World champion. I think Noah made it a little bit more interesting by running that 9.81 into a headwind, which almost converts to a 9.77, but there’s no way you can look at the way Thompson ran that 9.77 and just go, ‘Oh, Noah will beat him.’ Noah has his hands full with that guy,” Boldon stated.
Lack of experience
Despite Thompson’s blazing speed, Boldon highlighted a potential hurdle: the lack of experience at the highest level of competition. This Olympic Games will mark Thompson’s debut representing Jamaica on such a grand stage.
“There are things which I see people completely ignoring. Kishane Thompson has not been under the microscope of Olympic favourite. Rounds are a great equalizer. Noah has the medals that he does because of how well he runs rounds. Is Noah suddenly a lock for the silver? No, but he does have his hands full,” Boldon emphasized.
Boldon also pointed out that other competitors in the 100m are more accustomed to the pressures of major championships, a factor that could influence the outcome. “There are others who are going to be in the 100m that are used to the pressure, and pressure is a big thing. If he’s able to pull this off, you write books about stuff like that,” he added.
Thompson’s quest for Olympic glory will commence with the heats of the men’s 100m, starting on Saturday, August 3.
