"He hasn't shown his full potential yet; That's scary"-Justin Gatlin picks between Noah Lyles, and Kishane Thompson for 100m gold at Paris Olympics

Noah Lyles vs Kishane Thompson is set to be the closest and most exciting battle at the Paris Olympics 2024 over the 100m dash. The Jamaican has been faster this season but Lyles is the world champion, and American sprinting legend Justin Gatlin has picked Thompson’s speed over the 100m world champion's experience.

Lyles, a predominantly 200m specialist, has improved immensely over the 100m dash in the last couple of years. Five of his top 10 fastest career times have come in 2023 and 2024, a run that also saw him winning the 100m world championship last year.

On the other side, Thompson emerged into the sprinting arena only last year, and injuries largely marred his 2023 season. But when he opened his 2024 season, he instantly became a favorite for the 100m podium in Paris after running a world-leading 10.77s. Can he deliver on the big stage? Justin Gatlin believes so.

Predicting the 100m podium on his podcast Ready Set Go, Gatlin picked Kishane Thompson, Noah Lyles, and Oblique Seville as the gold, silver, and bronze medal winners respectively.

“If Kishane is in front of Noah at the 45-50 m mark, it's Kishane’s to win. I don't see Naoh running Kishane down. I'm only saying that because Kishane hasn't shown us the rest of what he can do, he explained the reason behind his prediction. (1:11:00)

Thompson has been shutting down his speed in every race of his 2024 season after the 60-70m mark, and while Gatlin claimed it was the same reason he thought Lyles couldn't run down the Jamaican despite his blistering top speed, there was a flip side to the story as well. Thompson hasn't felt the pressure of being followed, and in case of any slip-ups, Gatlin claimed Lyles would take it.

“He hasn't shown his full potential yet, and that's scary. That's scary to me that you haven't shown your full potential,” Gatlin concluded about Kishane Thompson. (1:14:00)

Justin Gatlin picked Noah Lyles for the 200m

Athletics: World Championship.-Noah Lyles wins 200m gold (Source: Getty)

Noah Lyles is on a 25-race unbeaten streak over the 200m dash. He hasn't lost a single race since losing out on the 200m gold at the Paris Olympics 2024, and rightly so, Justin Gatlin pitted him to win the gold in Paris this year.

Gatlin picked Letsile Tebogo for the silver medal, and Kenny Bednarek for the bronze medal, arguing that all three have been the fastest in 2024, and it was going to be the same in Paris. He kept defending 200m Olympic champion Andre de Grasse, who has had an underwhelming season so far, as his ‘dark horse’ in the battle.