After clocking the world-leading time in the men’s 100m final at the Jamaican National Senior Championships, Kishane Thompson was asked during the post-race press conference whether he had been focusing on his dip at the finish. The Jamaican rising star responded candidly, saying, “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 remark made at least one track and field analyst wonder if Thompson was subtly throwing shade at Noah Lyles. But the analyst also sensed there was more behind those words…

Thompson spoke with a composed yet deliberate tone, sounding like someone who had once commanded 90 meters of an Olympic final, only to walk away with less than expected. “Imagine going from 0 to 95 meters or 90 meters about, and you’re at the back of the field. Dipping is not going to save you the win. You get what I’m saying?” 

In the recent episode of Track World News from July 1, 2025, Noah Williams made things clear. He said, “I don’t know if you’ve seen his post-race interview, but he kind of took a jab at Noah. And he said something along the lines of, you know, if you’re that great, you shouldn’t have to dip. Or if you’re that much better than everyone, you shouldn’t have to dip. So, that obviously is a jab at Noah.” Well, Lyles has yet to compete in a 100m race since the Paris Olympics. He was all set to enter the Adidas Atlanta City Games in May. But he didn’t compete despite attending the event. The reason? A minor injury. But the days of waiting are over. 

The update is that the Olympic champion is set to compete in the 100m at the London Athletics Meet – part of the Wanda Diamond League – on 19 July. The US sprinter holds special memories of racing in the British capital. His debut at this meet came in 2023, where he delivered a season-best 19.47 in the 200m, edging out Letsile Tebogo in a thrilling battle. Just a month later, he dominated the World Championships in Budapest, capturing gold in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay.

Similarly, Noah Lyles won in London again last year before going on to achieve success at the Olympic Games in Paris. He won the 100m in London in a personal best of 9.81, which he went on to reduce to 9.79 when taking gold at the Olympics. He’s now aiming to notch up another victory in London en route to the World Championships in Tokyo, where he hopes to add to the four individual world titles in his collection. After winning the 2019 world 200m gold, he successfully defended that title in 2022 with a personal best of 19.31, making him the third-fastest man in history. He returned to London last year and claimed victory again, this time in the 100m with a personal best of 9.81 seconds. He later improved that mark to 9.79 to clinch Olympic gold in Paris.

Now, Noah is targeting another win in London as part of his buildup to the World Championships in Tokyo, where he aims to expand his collection of four individual world titles. After securing the 200m world title in 2019, he defended it in 2022 with a blazing 19.31, making him the third-fastest man ever over the distance. On that note, Noah Williams said, “I think the whole world is waiting for Noah’s opener.”

But at the same time, he kept things clear about the Jamaican sprinter: “I think that’s scary to me is the fact he’s only 23, right? I just had to look it up and double-check. But last year, I think he kind of took his bumps and bruises. That was a big learning year for him. There was a couple times he tried to return quickly off injury and kind of re-injured things. And he still got it together for the Olympic final last year.” Yes. Things have improved for Kishane in the last two years. 

Did Kishane Thompson stand back after Noah Lyles’ dig?  

Around this time last year, Kishane Thompson lit up the track at the Jamaican trials, clocking 9.82 seconds in the 100m—just a hair faster than Noah Lyles’ 9.81 at the London Athletics Meet. When asked about Thompson’s performance, Lyles didn’t flinch. Cool and composed, he simply replied, “All right. Nice. Let’s hope he stays healthy”. Was it a casual comment—or a sly jab? Given Thompson’s injury history, many took it as the latter.

In both 2022 and 2023, fitness woes plagued Thompson’s progress, limiting his appearances and casting doubt on his ability to consistently compete. Those setbacks pushed his coach, the legendary Stephen Francis, to rethink their approach. “It was always our intention for him to focus on running one-round races this year. Francis revealed. Considering his previous struggles with injuries, we believed it would be best for him to showcase his talent in a controlled manner.” And it seems to be paying off.

By 2024, Thompson was showing promising signs of durability. Now, in 2025, he’s not just staying healthy—he’s dominating. With a string of electric runs in the 9.7s, 9.8s, and 9.9s, the Jamaican speedster is proving he’s no longer just a fragile prodigy but a real threat on the global stage. So, did Lyles’ dig backfire—or did it light a fire? One thing’s certain: Thompson isn’t just healthy—he’s hungry.