KINGSTON, Jamaica (June 28) — Jamaican sprinter Kishane Thompson made a powerful statement at the 2024 Jamaica Olympic Trials, winning the men’s 100m title with a blistering personal best and world-leading time of 9.77 seconds on Friday night in Kingston.
The MVP Track Club athlete, finally healthy after an injury-plagued 2023 campaign, powered past his rivals at the halfway mark to become the fourth-fastest Jamaican of all time in the 100m event.
After crossing the finish line, Thompson continued running all the way to the warm-up track, where he met with his coach to begin his cool-down.
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Thompson’s winning time bettered the previous world-leading performance of 9.79 seconds set by Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala earlier this month.
Tow-time world finalist Oblique Seville of Racers Track Club also delivered a personal best of 9.82 seconds (matched his previous PB) for second place, while Ackeem Blake of Dynamic Speed Track Club rounded out the top three with 9.92 seconds to secure his spot on the Jamaican Olympic team.
In the women’s 100m final, world silver medalist Shericka Jackson won the national title with a season’s best of 10.84 seconds (-0.3m/s).
Two-time Olympic 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce finished third in 10.94 seconds, punching her ticket to a fifth Olympic Games, while Tia Clayton, who ran 10.86 seconds in the semifinals, returned an hour and a half later to clock 10.90 seconds for second place, also earning a spot on the Jamaican team to the Paris Games.
Elsewhere, Malik James-King of Titans Track Club won the men’s 400m hurdles with a personal best of 47.42 seconds, two-time world bronze medalist Rushell Clayton of Elite Performance Track Club captured the women’s 400m hurdles title with a personal best of 52.51 seconds, and Deandre Watkin of Elite Performance Track Club won the men’s 400m in 44.48 seconds.
