While the 2024 Paris Olympics brought glory to many, for a few athletes, it was the moment a renewed sense of purpose was born. One such name is the Jamaican sprinter, Kishane Thompson. Imagine missing out on an Olympic Gold despite clocking at the same time as the winner! Such is the unfortunate tale of Thompson. However, all is not over just yet.

Thompson is ready to rewrite his narrative of coming second. However, this time it’s not in the sun but rather on the indoor tracks. World Athletics recently announced that Kishane Thompson will be making his big indoor debut at the 2025 Astana Indoor Meet for Amin Tuyakov Prizes. But it is not just a debut for Thompson! It is, in fact, a chance at redemption.

At the Paris Olympics, Thompson lost the Olympic Gold to American sprinter Noah Lyles despite both of them clocking 9.79 seconds. However, Lyles ultimately won the gold medal by edging out a mere five-thousandths of a second. This blow got a whole lot worse when multiple new broadcasters initially announced Thompson as the winner. But all is not lost just yet.

On the 25th of January 2025, as the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold calendar begins, Kishane Thompson will have his shot at redemption. He will be seen on the tracks of Astana, Kazakhstan. This will be the third edition of the Astana Indoor Meet and it is turning out to be no less special than the last edition. Last year, the world saw Mondo Duplantis hitting 5.80 m but failing all his attempts at 6.00 m. Talk about drama, with Thompson on the track. This year might just see a whole lot more. Beyond the possible drama, one big question remains unanswered still.

Will Thompson’s nemesis Lyles be at the Astana Indoor Meet?

While Kishane Thompson is all set for his return to the spotlight, the biggest question is will Noah Lyles, his Olympic nemesis, be there too? Lyles, unlike Thompson, is no stranger to the world of Indoor athletics. In fact, Lyles has a personal best of 6.43 seconds in the 60m indoor dash. That run at the USATF Indoor Championships even saw Lyles edge out Christian Coleman, who happens to be the world record holder in 60m indoor. So what does this mean?

Well, if Lyles decides to show up for the Astana Indoor Meet, it is bound to be a race for the ages. However, Noah Lyles is not the only possible wildcard that the world is expecting. Fred Kerley, who took the Bronze in 100m in Paris, could also make an appearance. It was only last year that Kerley made his 60m debut at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix. And he just might be back on the indoor scene soon!

Speaking of the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, the new season of races is about to happen in Boston just a week after Astana. Now, this is, of course, a major event for track athletes. Lyles has already confirmed for Boston, where he’ll face Italy’s Marcell Jacobs for the 60m showdown. Kerley, on the other hand, despite having accepted Matt Hudson’s 300m controversial challenge, hasn’t said anything about being at the NB Indoor Grand Prix. Now this leaves the world with two very interesting questions!

Could the tight schedule force Noah Lyles and Fred Kerley to choose between events based on ease of travel and monetary gains? And if so, is Kishane Thompson strategically avoiding Boston to secure a rather definite gold at the Astana Indoor Meet?