Noah Lyles has spent 2025 battling to hold ground against a new force in men’s sprinting, and the duel is quickly becoming the defining story of the season. Kishane Thompson, the 23-year-old Jamaican whose 9.75 seconds at his national trials still stands as the fastest mark in the world this year, has not only challenged Lyles’s supremacy but has already beaten him head-to-head. Their meeting in Silesia on August 16 confirmed what the numbers had suggested: the rivalry is real, and it is tightening. Lyles clocked a season’s best of 9.90, but it was Thompson who crossed first in 9.87, equaling the meet record and forcing the reigning world champion to rethink his route to Tokyo.

The paths that brought them here have been markedly different. Thompson entered 2025 eager to make up for time lost to injuries that kept him from the 2023 World Championships and even the 2022 season altogether. His performances this year, capped by his victories in Kingston and now Silesia, place him sixth on the all-time list for the 100 meters and have made him the leading candidate for gold in Tokyo.

Lyles, by contrast, has leaned on his reputation and titles, claiming another national crown and advancing in his favored 200 meters, where he already holds a bye into the global championships. His choice to withdraw from the latter 100-meter rounds at the USA Championships underscored where his priorities remain, but it has not dulled his appetite for the shorter distance when Thompson is involved.

Yes, that’s because in the pre-race Silesia Diamond League press conference, Lyles had admitted that he had a proposal all along: “Personally, I wanted to just do a 1v1 race in Jamaica. I thought that would have just been amazing. Me and him, just like, hey, we’re going to sell out the whole stadium. It’s just going to be me and him.” He described the idea of a standalone duel with Kishane Thompson, lane against lane, before a packed Kingston crowd. Sure, that would have been a packed show, adding a new layer to their rivalry already heightened by Olympic history. After all, their photo-finish in Paris in 2024 had gone to Lyles by five-thousandths of a second. But it didn’t materialise. What did instead was Silesia, where Thompson returned the favor with daylight between them.

The exchange of victories illustrates why this matchup resonates so strongly. Thompson acknowledged in Budapest that being called the fastest man alive is “a joyful feeling,” yet he insists he is no braggart, attributing his progress to execution and momentum.

Lyles, in turn, emphasized what his sub-10 in Silesia meant for his confidence: “It’s a great stepping stone. I needed to see a sub-10. I needed to see winning, beating people… I am getting the confidence. It makes me really excited for not only today, but also for next week and Tokyo.” The contrast is striking: one building credibility through record times, the other through championship consistency.

With the World Championships final scheduled for September 14 in Tokyo, their rivalry has a clear stage ahead. Thompson will first face Lyles again in Lausanne on August 20, and the outcome there may offer further indication of what lies ahead. Yet beyond times and medals, the notion of a one-on-one showdown in Kingston has now entered the conversation, a reminder that sprinting’s most compelling battles are not only run on the clock but also imagined in the minds of its fiercest competitors. However, before they met, Thompson had set the stage for his next duel with Lyles, vowing “fireworks.”

How Kishane Thompson Promised ‘Fireworks’ in Long-Awaited Rematch With Noah Lyles

Kishane Thompson has signaled his intent for the next meeting with Noah Lyles, framing their long-awaited rematch with a single word: “fireworks.” Nearly a year removed from their separation by five-thousandths of a second in the Olympic 100 meters, the Jamaican sprinter has kept his tone respectful while making clear that the rivalry has not cooled. “I’m a very competitive person,” he explained, describing Lyles as “a phenomenal athlete, great rival,” before adding that when the two eventually share a start line again, “it’s going to be fireworks, for sure.”

The statement carries particular weight because of Thompson’s position this season. His 9.75-second victory at the Jamaican trials established him as both a national champion and the sixth-fastest man in history, placing his name alongside performers he referred to as “the gods of their time.” Against that backdrop, the promise of fireworks reads less as bravado and more as the natural expression of an athlete who has earned the right to anticipate another decisive showdown. Lyles, by contrast, has not yet contested a sprint this year, leaving their rivalry suspended but not forgotten.

Thompson’s manner suggests patience as much as intensity. “I might not show it,” he said of his competitive streak, pointing to an approach that values execution and composure as much as raw speed. Yet the fireworks remark ensures that whenever the two men finally meet, whether in a Diamond League stadium or at the World Championships in Tokyo, the weight of expectation will be unmistakable. Their Olympic race demanded attention. The sequel, as Thompson had promised, wasn’t any quieter.