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Remember that heart-stopping 100-meter final at the Paris Olympics? Fans couldn’t agree on who won: some swore it was Kishane Thompson, while others backed Noah Lyles. Even Lyles admitted, “I did think Thompson had it at the end.” But when the dust settled, Lyles snatched gold by just five-thousandths of a second. It was the closest, most competitive men’s 100m final ever! The loss stung for Thompson, who had the fastest time of 2024, but it didn’t break him. Instead, he doubled down, declaring 2025 as his season to shine.

Fast forward to January 2025, and Thompson wasted no time kicking off his season. He started his first race in Spanish Town, Jamaica, on January 18. Meanwhile, Noah Lyles hasn’t even hit the track yet. But here’s the thing: Thompson’s early-season form hasn’t exactly turned heads. In his second race on January 25 in Astana, he clocked 6.58 seconds in the 60m.

That’s far from his best and nowhere near Lyles. So, what’s going on? Is he just warming up for bigger things later in the season? Whatever the case, if Thompson wants to keep up with Lyles, he’s got some serious work to do. The “mystery man” has to bring the magic soon. But how?

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Is Kishane Thompson the next bolt or just another fast guy?

Kishane Thompson kicked off his 2025 competitive year by finishing the 60m sprint in 6.48 seconds at Spanish Town, Jamaica, competition on January 18. His 6.48-second run placed Thompson as Jamaica’s fifth-quickest sprinter and stood only 0.06 seconds behind the country’s fastest time, which Ackeem Blake held. After his outstanding 2024 season, Thompson established himself as a potential big threat among sprinters heading into 2025. At the Astana Indoor Meet on January 25, Thompson’s first indoor appearance fell short of expectations.

The 60-meter heat concluded with a 6.58-second time from Thompson, who trailed behind established sports competitors and his personal best record. Thompson remains behind both Noah Lyles and Christian Coleman according to available 60m competition results. The fastest run by Lyles in 60m occurred in 2024 with a time of 6.43 seconds, but Coleman dominated the track with 6.34 seconds in 2018.

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Can Kishane Thompson dethrone Noah Lyles, or is he just another sprinter in Lyles' shadow?

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But at the same time, according to the World Athletics website, Christian Coleman is the fastest man in 60m, while Maurice Greene is second with a time of 6.39s and third is Ronnie Baker with a time of 6.40. Lyles ranks tenth on the list, while Thompson is currently ranked 34th.

The early-season performance by Thompson brings uncertainty about whether he can meet the standards set by his impressive 2024 Olympic results last year. Fans are left wondering: Does Thompson rightfully claim Bolt’s sprinting heritage or does he merely pretend to handle the tremendous expectations? Kishane Thompson needs to bring an elevated performance to push past Lyles and Coleman for any chance at challenging their dominance before the end of the season.

Noah Lyles stuns critics after Coleman’s gold

The 60m final at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow 2024 on March 1 was a race to remember. Christian Coleman delivered a dominant performance, securing the win with a world-leading time of 6.41 seconds. His world record of 6.34 seconds, set in 2018, still stood as he crossed the line first. But Noah Lyles, his competitor, ran a strong race, taking silver with a personal best of 6.44 seconds.

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Despite missing out on gold at the World Indoor Championships, Noah Lyles was far from disappointed. Fresh off setting a personal best of 6.44 seconds at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meet in Boston, Lyles proved he was no longer just a long-distance sprinter but a real contender in the 60m. “They said I wasn’t a 60m guy, but look at me now,” he said confidently after securing silver. “If I’m beating these guys in the 60m, they’ve really got no chance outdoors.

And he wasn’t bluffing. Just weeks earlier, in February 2024, Lyles edged out Christian Coleman in a 60m final at the USATF Indoor Championships in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Clocking a world-leading and personal best time of 6.43 seconds, Lyles narrowly defeated Coleman by a mere 0.01 seconds. Lyles’s 2023 season, which saw him dominate the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay at the World Championships, had already made his place as one of the best sprinters around.

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And now, Lyles is gearing up to open his 2025 season at the RADD Invitational in Florida with the 60m. Fans are already buzzing; will he set the track on fire again and break new records? With Lyles, you never know what magic he’s going to deliver, but one thing’s for sure: the anticipation couldn’t be higher. And then there’s Kishane Thompson, who’s looking to make a serious statement this year. So, could we be in for a showdown between these two sprinters? Only time will tell!

 

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Can Kishane Thompson dethrone Noah Lyles, or is he just another sprinter in Lyles' shadow?