Jamaica, the island nation synonymous with sprinting excellence even in 2025, continues to shine through the brilliance of Kishane Thompson. He became the world leader for the 2025 season with a personal best of 9.75s. To further propel Jamaica’s stance in the 100m dash, Oblique Seville acquired the tag of the ‘world’s fastest man’ by running the distance making his personal best of 9.77s at the 2025 World Athletics Championships. Yet, when the numbers rolled in, it wasn’t Jamaica but Noah Lyles’ United States that claimed sprinting’s ultimate bragging rights.

According to the stats that Travis Miller shared on X, “USA leading the way with the most sub-10s 100m runners this season.” In 2025, the USA had 13 runners in the men’s 100m dash who went sub-10s. Meanwhile, Jamaica had five. The ones trailing right behind the duo were South Africa with four athletes, and Great Britain with three. The sheer American volume reflects a sprinting system firing on all cylinders. From NCAA prospects to global stars like Lyles, Fred Kerley, and Christian Coleman, all produced elite times.

Leading the charge for America were Kenny Bednarek, Courtney Lindsey, and T’Mars McCallum, who ran the sub-10s at Hayward Field, Eugene. Bednarek clocked in at 9.79s, Lindsey at 9.82s, and McCallum made it in 9.83s. Noah Lyles, Trayvon Bromell, and Coleman went just under 9.90s. 

But it’s worth noting that six of the 13 sub-10s came from Eugene. Meanwhile, Thompson, Ackeem Blake, and Ryiem Forde ran their sub-10s at the National Stadium, Kingston. And Bryan Levell ran the 100m in 9.82s at the Leichtathletik Arena, Eisenstadt. 

Even though the Jamaicans were vastly outnumbered, they continued to dazzle with speed. However, the USA’s unmatched depth underscores a system built not just on talent, but on relentless consistency and breadth, making 2025 the year of American sprint supremacy. But did you know that Kishane Thompson’s personal best fell just short of beating Noah Lyles in yet another aspect? 

Kishane Thompson left out of the 2026 World Athletics Ultimate Championships

The NBC Sports Director of Social Media, Travis Miller, recently dropped the list of male athletes who automatically qualified for the 2026 World Athletics Ultimate Championships. The 100m race included Oblique Seville and Noah Lyles. And the 200m will have Lyles and Letsile Tebogo on the roster. But there was no mention of the 2025 100m world leader anywhere on the list. 

Even though he set the world lead and a personal best with 9.75s, Thompson didn’t win a gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics or the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo. And those were the prerequisites that put athletes directly on the roster for the Ultimate Championships in 2026. Not all hope is lost, though. Like Thompson defeated Lyles at the Silesia Diamond League, we certainly expect him to push through in the first half of the 2026 season, which would open doors for Kishane Thompson to compete for the Ultimate Championship title.  

Nevertheless, the rivalry between Jamaica and the USA is far from over. As the 2026 season lurks on the horizon, the contest for the sprinting crown shows promise of fierce battles on the tracks. But can Jamaica beat the USA in the next season?