"I can run way faster"- Kishane Thompson riding high on confidence ahead of the 100m showdown at Paris Olympics 2024

Kishane Thompson was unknown to international track and field fans until a month ago, but in his home country, Jamaica, the sprinter was primed to become one of the greatest. He is slowly proving those claims, and after running a world-leading 9.77s in June, Thompson believes he can go even faster.

The 23-year-old first rose to prominence at last year's Jamaica National Championships after running 9.91s during the heats. Although Thompson withdrew from the rest of the championships as a precautionary measure, he returned to run faster in the Diamond League, clocking 9.85 and 9.87 in Xiamen and Eugene respectively.

The Jamaican opened his 2024 outdoor season at the Olympic Trials, and that's when he rose to international fame. Thompson’s time of 9.77s during the 100m finals is the fastest in two years since Fred Kerley ran 9.76 at the 2022 World Championships, and he isn't done yet.

Following his eye-catching performance, Kishane Thompson said he is in the best shape of his career and could run faster than 9.77s.

“This year is the best I’ve ever been health-wise. Running the three rounds at this championship has helped me better understand my body and the sport. I was never short on confidence, but I believe I have much more to do as I can run way faster. Deep down, I look forward to some great competition and nice vibes from the top sprinters," he said (via World Athletics).

His coach, Stephen Francis, whose brother scouted him in 2019, expressed similar sentiments earlier.

"Based on what I saw him do in the final, I think if he maintained that speed that he had between 40m and 60m, he probably would have run 9.6 or 9.70," he said.

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Can Kishane Thompson close on Usain Bolt's 100m world record?

Prefontaine Classic: Day 1 - Diamond League 2023 - Kishane Thompson in action (Left) (Image via Getty)

Usain Bolt holds the 100m world record, but his start wasn't that great. However, Kishane Thompson excels in being the fastest off the blocks, and his closing speed also looks great. Although he hasn't shown it fully yet because of a lack of competition.

Thompson has continuously shut down his speed around the 60-70m mark after taking the lead early, and despite that, he has been able to run some of the fastest times of the year. As Stephen Francis stated, he can easily run in the low 9.6s, and if need be, he might even be able to break Bolt's record to win gold at the Paris Olympics. However, it's very unlikely to happen as there are very few sprinters at the moment who can go sub-9.7s and challenge his top speed.