Athletes all over the world are competing to secure a spot at the Paris Olympics. However, Kishane Thompson shocked the track and field world after he cruised through the Jamaican Olympic trials with a world-leading 9.77s 100m sprint. Despite not competing for the entity of the 2024 season before the trials, Thompson dominated the competition. In fact, he was so impressive that it led to a bizarre incident with doping control.

Thompson had already set the stage for an incredible return, running 100m in 9.82s in the heats. After finishing the race, one of the doping officers approached him saying he had been “randomly selected” for a doping test because of “how effortlessly you PB’d and didn’t compete all season.” Although Thompson was taken aback, he complied. Fans also found the encounter unusual.

Kishane Thompson’s astonishing comeback

What was so unbelievable about his performance that prompted such action from doping control? Kishane Thompson is a standout talent from Jamaica, but the track star has battled several injuries since 2023. Thompson finished fourth the last time he competed in the Prefontaine Classic in 2023. Since then, the 22-year-old has rested and recouped before returning for the trials.

Experts and fans expected the sprinter to perform well. Yet, few would’ve thought Kishane Thompson would match his personal best time on his first event after a long lay-off. However, the sprinter rocketed to a 9.83s finish in the heats. What more? He clocked in an even more impressive time in the finals with 9.77s, leaving behind Oblique Seville and Ackeem Blake.

Seville who has been far more active than Thompson took second place, running 100m in 9.82 sec. Meanwhile, Blake settled for third place with 9.982s on the clock. After his incredible performance, Kishane Thompson regained his title as the fourth-fastest Jamaican ever. Veteran sprinter Rodney Greene put the 22-year-old’s achievement into perspective.

“Once he gets past 60 meters, once he clears Oblique Seville, he’s looking at the clock. He’s looking directly at the clock with 40 meters to go, and maybe five meters before they come through the line, he shuts it down. That right there is scary.” Green said during the July 4th episode of the Ready Set Go Podcast.

Kishane Thompson himself said his performance may have seemed “suspicious” to the doping officer. That’s because now on “usually” sprints as fast as he did during the heats. Yet, fans also showed concern about why the testing took so long.

Track fans searched for answers

Doping is a serious offense that may outright doom an athlete’s career. Track and field icon Sha’Carri Richardson’s career hung in the balance when she got suspended after a doping test. Hence Kishane Thompson’s fans pondered on doping control’s decision. The doping officer just doing his job. They don’t want no embarrassment on Jamaica. So if you clean you shouldn’t be worried,” argued one fan.

The fan empathized with the doping officer’s decision to doubt Thompson, as his performance may have seemed beyond extraordinary. While some agreed with the assessment, others thought he was unfairly targeted despite a stellar performance. “Absolutely. But he was singled out,” commented one user who originally posted the video on X. One fan looked to the brighter side.

“Singled out yes! But as long as you’re clean, should never be a problem! Good character must outweigh feelings! Keep up the good work Kishane!” wrote the fan, congratulating Thompson for earning his ticket to the Paris Olympics. Yet some remained concerned over the extended sample submission time. “The issue wasn’t with the getting a sample, but why was he there with them for so long,” questioned a fan. unfortunately, Kishane Thompson didn’t seem keen to elaborate on this detail about his surprise doping test.

Finally, one user claimed to have the answer everyone was looking for. “I spoke with them (doping control) after the final as I was trackside and they said the very same thing. They explained that their instruction was to test him again after the final, whether it was fast or not. And to be fair, he had to be tested all things considered.” commented the user.

Although he claimed that doping control did single out Kishane Thompson, he wasn’t “maliciously” targeted. JADCO did so because the 22-year-old phenom had been out of the competitive pool for so long. While Kishane Thompson made a statement with his comeback, it may have been a bit too good. What do you feel about the situation involving the Jamaican sprinter? Tell us in the comments.