"You do what you are"- Kishane Thompson shares strong message as he gears up for Paris Olympics

Kishane Thompson is not downplaying his sprinting talent as he gears up for the Olympic Games. The Jamaican youngster recently made headlines by clocking the fastest 100m timing so far in 2024 at the Jamaican National Championships.

Thompson had a late season opener, competing at the JAAA Olympic French Foray 1, where he did not finish the race. The 22-year-old put the setback behind him and went to race at the Jamaican Olympic trials.

He started his Olympic campaign on a high note, claiming the win in the preliminaries in 9.82 before clocking 9.84 to win the semifinal of the men’s 100m. Kishane Thompson shut down the stadium with his world-class run in the final, clocking a world-leading time of 9.77 to win the race.

The Jamaican, going up against Letsile Tebogo at the Gyulai István Memorial, was in a class of his own as he clocked 9.91 seconds to win the race.

In a video shared on his Instagram page, Kishane Thompson had a voiceover talking about taking gifts and talents seriously. The narrator insists that if someone does not take their talent seriously, then they have betrayed themselves.

"You are born with a gift and without that then you get good at something along the way, and what you are good at, you don’t take for granted, you don’t betray it," the narrator says.

Another voice says:

"What if you do, betray your gift?"

The first narrator then answers:

"Then you betray yourself."

Kishane Thompson captioned the video:

"YOU DO WHAT YOU ARE."

"I had to really work for it"- Kishane Thompson explains why making Jamaican Olympic team is very special to him

Kishane Thompson (Source: Kishane Thompson's Instagram page)

Kishane Thompson opened up about his life growing up and how he had to work hard for everything he had earned.

Making it to the Olympic team remains a dream come true for the Jamaican 22-year-old as he chases more history on the stage. Kishane Thompson narrated that he had to work harder and even go beyond the limits to ensure he achieves his targets.

The sprint sensation added that growing up, life was tough but is glad to have fought through the hardships and emerge on the top. He is now the fastest man in the world in 2024, thanks to his world leading time at the Jamaican Olympic trials men’s 100m final.

"Life was very humbling, nothing was given to me and I had to really work for it and get through my trials and tribulations. I kept striving harder and never gave up on myself and I did what I had to do even more that I had to do and it kept me grounded," Thompson told Nationwide 90 FM.

"I can’t go anywhere without being seen now and I have to deal with so many questions and interviews. I am prepared in terms of, I do not think about it and let it overwhelm me. My main aim is the track," he added.

As he heads to the Paris Olympics, his first major assignment, Kishane Thompson will be joined by Oblique Seville and Ackeem Blake. Thompson won the trials in 9.77 as Seville and Blake finished second and third in respective times of 9.82 and 9.92.

Usain Bolt was the last Jamaican to win the Olympic gold medal in the men’s 100m during the 2016 Rio Olympics.