“Dipping is not really the key part of a race, honestly. If a person is good as they are, from 0 to 100 meters, if you set yourself apart from the competition, you don’t need to dip. I’m just saying that.” That was Kishane Thompson last week—calm, direct, and maybe, just maybe, sending a coded message toward a certain American sprinter. Track and field analyst Noah Williams thought so. Many others agreed. Was it a subtle jab at Noah Lyles, the reigning Olympic champion known for his explosive finishes and dramatic flair?

Fast forward to July 5. The Prefontaine Classic—the 50th edition—was locked and loaded. Kishane Thompson was on the start list for the men’s 100m. Noah Lyles? Nowhere in sight. Instead, he was prepping for his next showdown in London. But that didn’t stop him from stirring the waters. Just a day before race day, Lyles dropped a behind-the-scenes video on his YouTube channel, showcasing his training grind at his Florida base. Coincidence? Or a well-timed flex? If it was meant to rattle the Jamaican, Thompson responded the best way a sprinter can—on the track.

In a loaded field stacked with former world champions Christian Coleman and Trayvon Bromell, Kishane Thompson didn’t flinch. He exploded out of the blocks and never looked back. First place. Statement made. But he wasn’t done. In the post-race interview, when asked about where he currently sees himself in the sprinting landscape, Thompson leaned in, smiled, and said: “When it’s when I get it, you guys will notice. I’m going to leave it at that. I’m going to leave you guys with that.” A tease. A warning. And a promise. Whatever it was, the message was clear: Kishane Thompson isn’t just here to win races. He’s here to shake the foundation. And his ways will not be conventional. Need evidence? 

Today, Kishane Thompson clocked 9.85 seconds with a light tailwind of +0.4 m/s—on paper, a smooth and controlled run. But according to the sprinter himself, it didn’t quite unfold that way. Reflecting on the race, the Olympic medalist admitted, “When I tried to kick it in over gear and kind of float with it, it didn’t feel as smooth. Like I caught it for a second, but it felt as if like I missed, I mistried. So, it kind of threw me off.” Interestingly, this wasn’t the first time this season Thompson delivered such a flashy finish, even with a few stumbles in execution.

Leading up to the Prefontaine Classic, Kishane Thompson had competed in just four 100-meter finals in 2025 and had only completed three of them. But every time he stepped on the track, he made it count. Thompson ended the season owning three of the five fastest times in the world: 9.77, 9.79, and 9.80. With numbers like that, it’s hard to imagine Noah Lyles isn’t paying attention.

Noah Lyles will have to show things in London 

The Tokyo World Athletics Championships may just be the battleground the sprint world has been waiting for—a stage set for the long-anticipated showdown between Noah Lyles and Kishane Thompson.

So far in 2025, the two titans have yet to meet. In fact, they’ve only raced once ever in the men’s 100m: the Olympic final in Paris, 2024. Since then? Silence. No clash. No rematch. Just rising tension. But the clock is ticking—and Tokyo looms.

Right now, the spotlight burns brightly on Kishane Thompson. Last year, he was a mystery—limited appearances, but jaw-dropping consistency. He handled pressure like a veteran, lighting up the Jamaican trials with 9.82, 9.84, and a scorching 9.77. Then, at the Olympics, he repeated the magic: 10.00, 9.80, 9.79. Every time he stepped on the track, the bar got higher.

In 2025, he’s no longer hiding. He’s racing more, and he’s faster than ever. At the Jamaican trials last week, he ran a world-leading 9.80 (+0.4) in the semis—then came back just hours later to obliterate it with a 9.75 (+0.8) in the final. That number isn’t just fast—it’s historic. In fact, 9.75 is the fastest 100m time the world has seen in nearly a decade, dating back to Justin Gatlin’s 9.75 in 2015. It’s also tied for the fastest time ever run on Jamaican soil, and it rockets Thompson to #6 on the all-time list, behind only Bolt, Gay, Blake, Powell, and Gatlin.

Meanwhile, Noah Lyles—the Olympic 100m champion and sprint showman—has yet to even open his 100m season. Since April 19, he’s been sidelined with an injury. The word is that he’s targeting a return at the London Diamond League. For him, that meet will be more than a race—it’ll be a test of form, health, and momentum. Because make no mistake: Kishane is coming. And he’s not just aiming to win—he’s rewriting what’s possible.