American Legend Justin Gatlin on Specific Thing Kishane Thompson Must Embrace to Dominate Akani Simbine and Co

 

Kishane Thompson obliterated a field that included Oblique Seville to win the 100 meters at the Racers Grand Prix last weekend, but Gatlin feels he still has to add something to finally beat the likes of Noah Lyles and Akani Simbine.

American sprint legend Justin Gatlin has sent crucial advice to Kishane Thompson on what he must do if he is to finally cement his status as the new king of 100 meter sprinting.

 

Thompson produced an emphatic run to win the men’s 100m in 9.88 (0.0m/s) at the Racers Grand Prix, a World Athletics Continental Tour Silver meeting, in Kingston, Jamaica, on Saturday (7 June).

 

Thompson, drawn in lane four, reacted quickly to the starter’s gun and pulled away from the field at the midway mark. His compatriot Oblique Seville finished with a flourish to clinch second place in a season’s best of 9.97 ahead of the South African pair of Gift Leotlela (10.04) and world U20 champion Bayanda Walaza (10.06).

 

 

“Today, I put together a decent race,” said Thompson, who registered a season’s best. “I went through my phases as best as I could, and I’m super grateful for finishing injury-free. I want everyone to be patient because great things are going to happen.”

 

 

Noah Lyles and Kishane Thompson Noah Lyles and Kishane Thompson

While the win confirmed Thompson’s immense potential, Gatlin—a former Olympic champion and multiple World Championship medallist—believes the 23-year-old must take one more key step to reach the pinnacle of global sprinting: race more consistently outside Jamaica.

 

“You always get plus-10 points when you run fast at home—it’s your comfort zone, your turf,” said Gatlin on his Ready Set Go podcast.

 

“But I want to see Kishane string more races together. That’s what’s really going to matter in the long run. You don’t want to get to Nationals or World Championships and have to grind through tough rounds just to make the final.”

 

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“That 9.88 definitely quieted a lot of people who were asking: ‘Where’s he at? Why isn’t he racing? Is he hurt? Is he ducking?’ He proved to everyone: ‘I’m walking my own path, and when I show up, I’ll be ready.’”

 

Gatlin also referenced Thompson’s near-miss in a major championship final—where the Jamaican missed out on Olympic gold by the slimmest of margins—as a learning point that underlines the importance of experience and consistency under pressure.

 

“Last year, he showed he’s a force—silver by just a hundredth of a second, and a lot of people thought he even had the gold. But the field is deeper now. There are more players in the game—from Akani Simbine, to guys like Jordan Anthony if he turns pro.”

 

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“These guys aren’t afraid to run fast, and they’ll be coming at him from every angle. For Kishane, it’s about navigating the rounds and showing he can be just as sharp in the final. That’s when it counts most.”

 

As the countdown to the Tokyo World Championships continue, all eyes will be on whether Thompson embraces this next phase of his journey—competing more globally, building race rhythm, and peaking when it matters most.