Rising sprinter Kishane Thompson says he was not surprised by his performance in the men’s 100m final at the JAAA National Championships on Friday, indicating that his best performances are still ahead this season.

Thompson, who is coached by Stephen Francis at MVP Track and Field Club, clocked a world-leading time of 9.77 seconds to secure victory in the event. Earlier in the semi-finals, he set a personal best of 9.82 seconds.

Thompson, 22, now ranks as the fourth fastest Jamaican man ever, trailing only Usain Bolt’s world record time of 9.58, Yohan Blake 9.69, and Asafa Powell 9.72. He has also seized the world lead from Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya, who ran 9.79 earlier in the month.

“It is the best that I have ever been, so you can expect great things this season,” Thompson said. “I am not surprised by the time because I have always been working and I am always going to be working hard and I am always going to strive for more and more. I am happy that I did some of the execution based on the instructions that I got from my coach because I believe that execution is one of the key components in running a good race.”

He emphasised a cautious approach to setting personal expectations this season.

“I don’t want to put a time on myself and blind side my focus — I am taking it a step at time,” he said. “In my eyes, I was so far behind in my preparations and I competed three rounds and managed myself as best I could. So, I am just staying calm and taking it step by step.”

Thompson emerged at last year’s National Championships, clocking a time of 9.91 in the heats of the 100m but did not return for the semi-finals due injuries.

He says his performance on Friday should send a strong warning to the rest of the world that the Jamaican sprinters are back and they will be a force to be reckoned with this year. He is looking forward to competing against the best sprinters in the world this year once he remains healthy.

“It is going to happen because when great talent and competition meet, it is going to be a good show, so deep down I am looking forward to it,” he said. “My confidence in terms of what I can do has never been short or whatsoever, but I have seen where I have a lot to work on and I am going to just do that right now.”

Thompson also credited Coach Francis for his unwavering support during injury setbacks that could have sidelined his Olympic dreams.

“I am just listening to my coach because I have been hurt so many times and it is because of him why I am here right now,” Thompson said. “I am very humbled and thrilled and happy right now to make the team for the Paris Olympic Games.”

A former student of Garvey Maceo High School, Thompson acknowledged that despite not reaching the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ Athletics Championships final during his school career, his passion for the sport fuelled his pursuit of becoming a professional athlete.

“The competition can be really tense but I always told myself that track and field is based on competition,” he said. “You have people like me who have been through a lot of setbacks and I just want to be in a place where I can run fast and enjoy myself. I have always told myself from a tender age that I have always loved the sport, but I love to enjoy myself. So, I started getting back that feeling because at one point it was so tense that I couldn’t get to go out there and do what I was supposed to do.”