When Kishane Thompson said, “Anything is possible” before the Prefontaine Classic race, we should have understood- he was warning us that he would be coming firing on all cylinders. And oh, he did!  The last two races have been such major boosters for the Jamaican. The Jamaican Championships 100m finals saw him register national dominance in Jamaica, and the Eugene Diamond League win ensured the international circuit gets a teaser of his form before the World Championships. Actually, the latter did more than that. There is now a track and field legend who his praising his Diamond League heroics!

For a little bit of a refresher, Kishane Thompson ran at the Prefontaine Classic last weekend, where he surged to a 9.85-second finish in the 100-meter final. In the process, he smoked Christian Coleman, who came seventh in 10.06 seconds. And former 2025 world lead, Trayvon Bromell, who finished third. But while the Americans could not follow through, Thompson seemed unstoppable. So much that this American track and field legend gave him his flowers!

On the July 10 episode of the Ready Set Go Podcast, Justin Gatlin opined on Kishane Thompson’s 100m Prefontaine win. And the words he chose? They make it evident that Thompson’s looking picture perfect for the World’s stage. Gatlin said, “Kishane runs 9.85 in this race and the way he does it, he just kind of just builds up from the start and just keeps going and getting faster, faster, faster, and faster.” Acceleration? Check!

Gatlin further praises the technical aspects of Thompson’s race, saying, “He has a smooth drive phase transition, top end speed. It’s no like separation in it, and he does a great job of that.” Consistency? Check! Gatlin even chimed in, saying how running with such a dominant runner requires the rest of the field to match up to that level of extraordinary, too! “So when you’re when you’re racing against someone like that, you have to make sure that you are popping in all your segments so you can roll with that,” he says.

While Justin Gatlin has commented on Kishane Thompson’s form vis-à-vis the Prefontaine race, there have been others saying that he is the man to beat right after his world-leading 9.75s performance at the Jamaican Nationals. At the Track World News podcast, Noah Williams had said, “Based on everything we’ve seen, Kishane is 100% without a doubt in my mind the guy to beat in the 100 meters right now. I know Noah Lyles is the Olympic Champ, he’s the reigning world champ, but that 9.75, boy, you blink and you miss it, man. So he is a favorite right now, I can’t lie to you.”

Not many would disagree with this because Kishane Thompson has the numbers to support the argument. He is looking dominant, and one comes close to his form this season.

Kishane Thompson’s 100m form is no joke

Let’s be real. It’s after 10 entire years that a runner has clocked a time as low as Kishane Thompson’s 9.75 at the Jamaican Championships. The last time someone had clocked a time like this was by Justin Gatlin himself in the year 2015. So Kishane Thompson’s form is undeniable. Yet, he is looking to go faster this season. When Kishane Thompson was asked if his world lead time was reassuring, he said, “Honestly, it’s not…..I won’t…For me, it’s never going to be reassuring until I get the right job done.”  

After Prefontaine, though, he looked happier. He confidently said that once he gets better at his execution, amazing things shall happen. Also, 2025 is a good chance for him to shine, because Noah Lyles hasn’t raced as much. So his 100m form isn’t really expected to be breakneck. Also, other 100m runners like Coleman and Kerley are putting on hot and cold performances. But well, Akani Simbine and Kenny Bednarek might be runners that Kishane Thompson would want to be wary of. However, do you think he can beat them? Let us know your predictions below!