Who would have thought the day would come when an Olympic Silver Medal in the men’s 100m would make Jamaicans sad? Kishane Thompson, a sprint rookie, carried the hopes of a desperate nation on his back to Paris when he clocked a world leading 9.77 seconds. That made me nervous, and I often hoped they would stop using his name to troll Noah Lyles online.
We were not ready to see the USA regain the sprint crown. But did we ask too much of Kishane? I relish surprise wins like Antonio Watson in Budapest – less pressure. Surely, the fall of the big 3 on the female side added more pressure to a young man who although powerful and fast, is not quite experienced on the global stage. And yes, we are in a rebuilding phase. Patience.
The impact of a fast-finishing Lyles was to be considered. But when world-leading times come into play, some track fans tend to rest on such laurels, forgetting that only the performance on the day matters.
When Kishane said, “Everyone loves winners; I wish I could have won the gold today,” I felt that.
We ought not be disappointed, but rather proud of Kishane. This is only the beginning. His post-race interview says he is knowledgeable about the field. And something tells me, losing on the line will never happen again.
Give him time, for he will be back. I hope he gives himself some grace. Kishane has put Jamaica back on the 100m podium, and for now, that’s golden. Two years ago, we did not know we would have a shot in 2024. Eight men broke 10 seconds. There were only 3 medals; Jamaica has one.
In 2008, we sang ‘Three Little Birds’ when our females pulled off a historic clean sweep of the 100m. Paris has been stressful. Di photo finish hot, but hush! Truth is, we will never be chosen over the US in that situation. We have been here before. Debbie Bissoon says we will be on Sim Soul Sessions, while Dan Dan is retreating to the Wellness Bench. Hilarious!
But ‘Don’t worry about a thing….Every little thing is gonna be alright’.
Thank you Kishane! I look forward to seeing you raise the flag next time. Rest up for the 4x100m relay. You are still faster!
I am Suzette Campbell
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