Sometimes, brilliance unfolds quietly and is overshadowed by others. Such is the story of Kishane Thompson, a Jamaican runner who has been making incredible progress, yet not many people have noticed. While the world gazed at the medalists, Thompson silently moved from a 9.85-second finish to the top of the class in this division. However, as USA Track and Field great Justin Gatlin points out, waiting for their moment in the spotlight.

For Thompson, it’s a no-defeat path of perseverance and silent determination. Though being overshadowed by big-time players is just one thing out of many, and a heartbreaking loss to Noah Lyles, his work ethic and unwavering focus have earned him the respect of track legends. Gatlin’s observations on Thompson’s mysterious development highlight an interesting perspective. What did Gatlin say about Thompson?

Kishane Thompson’s progression has been shrouded in mystery

Olympic medalist Kishane Thompson’s track journey has been quietly impressive. While many focus on grabbing headlines only, Thompson steadily put in all the hard work, unnoticed by the broader public until now. American track and field athlete Justin Gatlin and Bahamian sprinter Rodney Green were seen on the YouTube channel ‘Ready Set Go’ talking about Kishane Thompson and his legacy.

Rodney Green recalled how Kishane Thompson ran in his 977 race at the 2024 Summer Olympics, and a silver medal usually gives a lot of hunger. To that Justin Gatlin responded, “You know what, let’s give this man the beard of Wonder a round of applause real quick. Do you know why? I tell you that because Kishane’s progression has been shrouded in mystery, right? But it was right there in front of our faces the whole time.”

As they say, who won the race will only be remembered; the same happened with Thompson. Despite his great performances, he left unnoticed. Gatlin also said that running is not an easy thing and needs a lot of strength. He further added, “And you recognized it the whole time—it was the fact that we were looking at the winners of those races and saying, ‘Okay, cool, whoever got second, whoever got third, cool.’ But watching his progression, like you said, going from 9.85, 9.85 is not, you know what I’m saying, that’s not light work, bro. That’s running, you know what I mean?” The shift from a 9.85 time to his current standing isn’t a small feat—it speaks about his dedication, discipline, and raw talent. 

Gatlin said, “And we really didn’t stop and say, ‘Oh, he’s doing some work, whoever this guy is.’ And then he progressed to where he is today. Like, now we’re like, ‘Okay, we see you now.” It really happens that people often perform so well on track, or any sport for that matter, but do not get easy recognition. Thompson gave his personal best of 9.85 seconds in the 2023 Diamond League, and this time is among one of the fastest in the world. 

“So for all the people out there saying, ‘Who is this guy Kishane?’ he didn’t just pop up. He’s been putting the work in—you just haven’t really been seeing it because he’s been overshadowed by other people who have done good things too,” Gatlin kept praising Thompson. Thompson’s rise through the ranks wasn’t sudden; it was earned. He’s been on this journey for longer than most realized, and now, the results speak for themselves.

People recognize Thompson’s work, despite being overshadowed by big player

A 23-year-old Jamaican sprinter became a member of MVP Track Club, and in June 2023, he competed at the Jamaican Championships. In his debut run of 100 meters, he finished the track in 9.91 seconds in his qualifying heat. However, he was not allowed to run in the semi-finals. Why, you may ask? Thompson’s coach, Stephen Francis, later explained that he suffered many injuries in previous years. How was Kishane Thompson overshadowed by other big names?

Olympic medalist shared the track with Noah Lyles in the 2024 Paris Olympics and finished second, behind Noah Lyles. It was a big deal that a new runner reached that level and gave a very tough competition to no less than a legend, Noah Lyles. Still, Thompson didn’t get much recognition. Lyles and Thompson both finished with the same time of 9.79 seconds, while Thompson was given a silver medal as he was five-thousandths of a second behind Lyles. That was close! The fans and media then hyped him and considered him as Bolt’s successor.

On 27 June 2024, at the Jamaican Olympic trials in Kingston, Thompson finished 100 meters in 9.82 seconds; it was his personal best till that time and won the Jamaican national title. It is to be seen what the future holds for Kishane Thompson.