Right as the world’s attention shifts to Tokyo for the 2025 World Athletics Championships, Jamaica has been given a new name to rally behind. On August 12 in Budapest, Bryan Levell stunned observers with a 200-meter run of 19.69 seconds at the István Gyulai Memorial. The mark was good enough to make him the third-fastest Jamaican in history, behind only Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake. The result also placed him in the top five worldwide for the season, establishing him as a genuine contender on the international stage. For a nation accustomed to producing great sprinters, Levell’s rise feels both timely and essential.

The race in Hungary was not an isolated breakthrough. Just weeks earlier, he had delivered 9.82 seconds to win the 100 meters at the Raiffeisen Austrian Open Eisenstadt, a time that positioned him second only to Olympic silver medalist Kishane Thompson on the 2025 world list. For a 21-year-old athlete who only turned professional two years ago, the performances signaled an early arrival at the highest level of sprinting.

It is therefore worth asking: who exactly is Bryan Levell, and what explains his rapid progression? To understand his path, one must look at the combination of early promise, professional guidance, and resilience through adversity that has shaped his career.

Bryan Levell’s early life and background

Bryan Levell was born on December 23, 2003, in Jamaica. His introduction to track and field came through Edwin Allen High School in Frankfield, a program better known for producing strong female teams than for nurturing male sprint champions. Levell changed that narrative in 2022. At the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships, he won the 100 meters in 10.25 seconds, becoming the school’s first male athlete to claim that title.

That same season, he gained international experience at the World U20 Championships in Cali, Colombia. He placed sixth in the 200-meter final, recording another personal best, and helped Jamaica secure a silver medal in the 4×100-meter relay. Those results placed him firmly on the radar of national selectors, as well as professional coaches looking for the next standout prospect.

Bryan Levell’s track and field career highlights

Levell’s career since those school days has been marked by steady progress punctuated by major breakthroughs. At the World U20 Championships in Nairobi in 2021, he had already captured a silver medal in the 4×100-meter relay. The 2022 season brought more individual results, including his sixth-place finish in the 200 meters in Cali.

By 2023, he decided to turn professional, choosing to work under coach Shanikie Osbourne in Kingston. The move soon produced results. At the Jamaican national championships in June 2024, he claimed the 200-meter crown with 19.97 seconds, his first time under 20 seconds. He also broke the 10-second barrier in the 100 meters with a 9.98 semifinal, before placing fourth in the final. That summer he reached the semifinals of the 200 meters at the Paris Olympics, an important test against senior competition.

His 2025 season has been even more remarkable. He began by helping Jamaica to silver in the inaugural mixed 4×100 meters at the World Relays in Guangzhou in April, and later finished runner-up in the 100 meters at the Grand Slam Track event in Philadelphia. On June 7, he won the Racers Grand Prix in Kingston with a wind-assisted 19.79 seconds. At the Jamaican Athletics Championships later that month, he produced a personal best 9.94 seconds in the 100 meters before pulling up with a leg issue in the final. The following day he recovered to win the national 200-meter title in 20.10 seconds. Then in July, he improved his 100-meter best to 9.82 seconds in Austria, which set the stage for his 19.69 in Budapest.

At only 21, Levell’s personal bests of 9.82 in the 100 meters and 19.69 in the 200 meters have established him as a legitimate successor in Jamaica’s sprinting tradition.

Bryan Levell’s coach – who guides his sprinting journey?

Levell’s foundation was laid at Edwin Allen High under coach Leon Powell, who guided him for seven years. Powell once told the Jamaica Observer, “He loves athletics. He loves to run, he loves to train, and he trains hard. He is a very disciplined athlete. Sometimes I tell him to take a session off, and most times he doesn’t want to take it off. He believes in himself and that he can get the job done.”

Since 2023, Levell has trained with Shanikie Osbourne, a Jamaican coach formerly associated with the MVP Track Club. She later formed Uptimum Performance to apply her own methods with athletes such as Levell and 800-meter runner Candice McLeod. Powell has credited Osbourne for keeping Levell fit throughout demanding seasons.

“Once he can stay healthy, and I must give kudos to Coach Osbourne and her team for keeping him sharp, I have all the confidence in the world that Bryan can do well and will do well come the World Championships in Tokyo,” Powell said. Osbourne’s role has been central to Levell’s transition from promising school athlete to professional sprinter capable of challenging the very best.

What challenges has Bryan Levell faced?

Not all of Levell’s path has been straightforward. In 2023, a hamstring injury forced him to miss much of the season, with setbacks continuing into his early competitions at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia. The frustration of being sidelined so soon after showing promise required patience and mental resilience.

His determination was rewarded with recognition at home. The Jamaica Olympic Association granted him $1 million under its “Young Olympic Changemakers” program, a turning point for an athlete who had yet to secure major sponsorship. Speaking to Our Today, Levell acknowledged, he was “Very proud to be the first recipient of the award which will be very beneficial with me not having any support and by giving me this award the JOA is supporting my dreams and aspirations.”

Even with strong performances in 2025, controversy followed. Despite his form, he was left out of Jamaica’s 4×100-meter relay team for the World Championships in Tokyo, where selectors instead named Ackeem Blake, Ryiem Forde, Kadrian Goldson, Oblique Seville, Kishane Thompson, and Rohan Watson. Supporters expressed disappointment, arguing that Levell’s omission weakened Jamaica’s chance at relay gold.

Such obstacles highlight the pressure of rising in a nation where sprinting is treated almost as a national responsibility. Adjusting from junior success to senior competition and managing the expectations that come with his times, may prove just as demanding as the races themselves.

Bryan Levell stands today as one of the brightest prospects in world sprinting. His journey from high school history-maker to professional athlete with world-class times has unfolded in little more than three years. With personal bests already rivaling established champions, his presence in Tokyo marks the arrival of another Jamaican sprinter with the potential to extend the country’s legacy. How he handles both the opportunity and the pressure will define the next chapter of his story.