At the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, the track was split between two titans: Team USA and Team Jamaica. And that year, Team USA stole the show. Noah Lyles bagged gold in the 100m, 200m, and the 4x100m relay. On the women’s side, Sha’Carri Richardson mirrored this with a 100m and the 4x100m win. After her relay, the commentator declared, “It’s gold for the Americans. Redemption….They have done the double. They’ve rounded off the penultimate night exactly as they said they would…” But 2025 might just flip the script. Jamaica is coming in stacked! We have Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson, and rising stars like Tina Clayton, Tia Clayton, and Kishane Thompson. After a strong showing at the JAAA Championships, the pressure’s on Team USA. This time, the rivalry is closer than ever, and it’s going to be something to watch.

In the past two clashes, it was the Americans who have emerged at the top. After 2023, when the countries went head-to-head at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the Americans swept 34 track and field medals. But that victory came with an asterisk. At the 2024 Olympics, Jamaica wasn’t at full strength. Elaine Thompson-Herah had been ruled out early in the season due to injury. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce did not compete. And Shericka Jackson, who started her Olympic campaign, was forced to withdraw from the 200m due to injury. With the Jamaican big three missing or sidelined, Sha’Carri Richardson and Gabby Thomas cruised to gold. On the men’s side, despite a strong challenge from Kishane Thompson, Noah Lyles edged him out by just 0.05 seconds in the 100m final. But this year, when they meet at the World Champs in September, Americans won’t have it this easy….

Men’s 100m- In the men’s 100m, Kishane Thompson just stomped to a 9.75s win, retaining his Jamaican title from last year and setting a new world lead. This is a big deal for Jamaica because nobody’s gone that fast legally since Bolt retired. Yes, Thompson’s looking in blazing form, but right behind him were equally good compatriots, Oblique Seville (9.83) and Ackeem Blake (9.88), both with sub-10s timings too.

While these men are looking in prime shape, Noah Lyles, on the other hand, hasn’t run a single 100m race this season. Also, Christian Coleman has run seven, but couldn’t win in a single. Coming to Fred Kerley, he has been running on and off with a few sub-10 times but some really stinging losses, like the Rome Diamond League. The only American track and field star who looks slightly in touch with his form is Kenny Bednarek, who has won all his individual 100 and 200m races in 2025!

Women’s 100m– Coming to the women’s 100m showdown, Sha’Carri Richardson is looking far from that World champion form, too. She has just run one 100m race yet, at the Seiko Golden Grand Prix, and ended up coming fifth there in 11.47s. This is a whole lot sluggish than the 10.65s she had to clock to defeat the Jamaicans in Budapest. On the other hand, at the Jamaican nationals, we had a new entrant, Tina Clayton, winning the 100m in 10.81s. While she is on her way to the World Championships with some fresh energy, so are the legends Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson, who finished second and third, in 10.88s and 10.91s, respectively. The depth in their running is looking really impressive right now. But there’s more to this rivalry.

Women’s 200m– While Shericka Jackson just ran the 100m last week, let’s not forget, she has an automatic qualification into the 200m. And it was in Jackson’s absence at Paris that Gabby Thomas sprinted to a 200m Olympic medal. Also, Ashanti Moore just entered the 200m battleground by securing her place with a top finish at the Jamaican nationals. So the 200m is equally stacked, but the Americans aren’t playing chase here as Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Gabby Thomas both are in their prime 200m forms this season. So this might be a close one.

Short Hurdles– Coming to the men’s hurdles, Grant Holloway’s fading form this season has been news to the world. 10th in Xiamen, 5th in Paris, and 2nd at the Ostrava Golden Spike, he isn’t looking in his best shape. But in the meantime, his rivals are picking up fast. Orlando Bennet just clocked 13.10s to become the new national champ. Whereas on the women’s side, a new champ, Megan Tapper, entered the field, edging out the national record holder, Ackera Nugent, in 12.34s.

Well, after looking at these performances this week, one can say for sure that the US-Jamaican rivalry has heated up! And this reminds of what Michael Johnson had said in 2024. Talking about the US-Jamaican rivalry, he said, “It goes through its phases where Jamaicans are on top, then the Americans are on top, and then the Jamaicans are back on top. So, it’s a real rivalry, and it’s one of the most fascinating things I think about the sport when you’ve got this country of three million people you know competing head-to-head— and sometimes dominating —a country of 300 million people…”

So, this year at the track and field World Championships, do you think the tables will turn? Share your thoughts!