“Wah nuh kill yuh, fatten yuh“, a common saying in Jamaica. A proverb that means What doesn’t kill you, fattens you. Simply put, when you endure difficulty without dying, you always emerge stronger than before. This reflects in the Jamaican track and field. After Usain Bolt’s retirement, the Jamaican domination in the sprint scenario diminished, while the USA excelled with the help of the likes of Fred Kerley, Noah Lyles, and co. In Paris 2024, the U.S. reclaimed gold in the 100 m (Lyles ahead of Kishane Thompson), and Jamaica’s relay failed to reach the final. But 2025 has brought new hope to the Jamaican camp, especially after a 21-year-old sprinter clocked a season-best time, sparking talk of a Jamaican rise…

It was not an easy field in the men’s 100m final at Raiffeisen Austrian Open Eisenstadt on July 23, 2025. The event featured a tough lineup including Olympic silver medalist Yoshihide Kiryū, South Africa’s Abduraqhman Karriem, and 2017 World U18 champion Retshidisitswe Mlenga. Bryan Levell was right there with them. BLAST went with the bullet from the gun, and the athlete launched from their blocks in a similar fashion. Starting in lane 2, the Jamaican star started slowly but picked up speed as the distance between him and the finish line decreased. 9.82s with a headwind of 1.3m/s, Bryan Levell had taken the win! And not just with speed, but with style. For Jamaican fans, it felt familiar. Like something they’d seen before. Like a spark, flickering back to life.

Bryan has not only clocked his personal best in the 100m but is now the second-fastest track and field athlete this season in the 100 m, joining Kishane Thompson and Oblique Seville on the list. A fan commented, “Jamaican male sprinting is really back. I could cry”. In 2012, Jamaicans ruled the global 100m sprint rankings together was way back in 2012, just before the London Olympics. Usain Bolt led the world with 9.76 s, followed by Yohan Blake at 9.84 s, and Asafa Powell ranked fourth with his 9.85 s.

This has been recreated in 2025. On June 27, 2025, during the 100m finals at the Jamaican nationals, Oblique Seville ran 9.83 s, the third-fastest 100 m time of the season. Ackeem Blake followed with 9.88 s, ranking him seventh globally. Kishane Thompson won the race with a time of 9.75 seconds, the fastest of the 2025 season and the sixth fastest of all time. Noah Lyles has been warned of this, along with the rest of the American camp. Jamaica’s dominance in the 100m this year has been undeniable, while the U.S. camp with Noah Lyles and co has faced its share of struggles. Least to say, fans are hopeful that a Jamaican comeback is on the horizon!

Fans happy as Jamaican trio rules the 100m chart

When you look at the top 100-meter times of the 2025 season, you would find the top three times being dominated by the Jamaicans. A fan said, “Now the 3 fastest for 2025 are Jamaicans“. Another user commented, “3 fastest 2025 100m times being Jamaican. We’ve prayed for times like these 🥹“. Kishane Thompson is sitting very comfortably at number one. Bryan Levell has joined him at number two, pushing Oblique Seville to number three. 

Another said, “The Jamaican 4×100 is stacked!” I mean, when the fastest men of the season would be running the relay, it’s going to be some unreal domination on the track if done right. Praises have also come for Bryan Levell. A fan said, “Our curve runner for 4*100 is looking very impressive 🔥🔥🙌🏿“.

In May 2024, he ran on the Jamaican team at the World Athletics Relays in Nassau, helping Jamaica qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games in the men’s 4×100 m relay. Another fan said, “Shanikie Osbourne product!“. Bryan Levell began training under Coach Shanikie Osbourne in late 2023. Could this be the comeback of Jamaican Golden Days? Share your thoughts in the comment section!