KISHANE Thompson looks supreme, Bryan Levell is putting the world on notice, Rasheed Broadbell is flying, Tina Clayton is getting back to her best, and Shericka Jackson is fine-tuning the engine.

With the National Senior Championships just a couple weeks away, Jamaica’s best showed up and showed out for a vibrant and appreciative crowd during Saturday evening’s seventh staging of the Racers Grand Prix inside the National Stadium.

Thompson, the Olympic 100m silver medallist, prefers to keep expectations in check but his 9.88 seconds (0.0m/s) win on Saturday will again place him firmly among the favourites in Tokyo after another show-stopping performance by the powerful 23-year-old.

(From left) Kishane Thompson, Bayanda Walaza and Oblique Seville compete in the men’s 100m during Racers Grand Prix at the National Stadium on Saturday.

With him in that conversation is another local favourite, Oblique Seville, who followed Thompson to the line with an impressive 9.97 run for second place, after a sub-par start.

Iron sharpeneth iron, and Jamaica’s new male sprinting duopoly agree that their burgeoning rivalry will not only push them both to even better performances, but that it also augers well for the country’s sprinting stock.

“Once I line up against Oblique — as a matter of fact, anyone, even a baby — that’s just me, I am going at the line with the intention and knowing that this person is coming to beat me, so the rivalry is good and I love it,” Thompson smiled as he assessed his performance.

“It was fair, it was alright; I went through my phases as best as I could. I can’t say I am feeling the best. We are athletes, we put our bodies under immense pressure. Most of the persons watching don’t know that sometimes as athletes we are out here running on niggles but today I put together a decent race, I finished injury-free, and I just move forward from here,” Thompson added. “We are working. I am not going to say that was the race — it always can be better and we are working.”

Oblique Seville reacts to finishing second in the men’s 100m during Racers Grand Prix at the National Stadium on Saturday. Race winner Kishane Thompson is partially obscured in the background.

Seville, for his part, was also pleased with his effort and agrees that both he and Thompson will benefit from their competition.

“I am pleased that I was able to go under 10 seconds. At the last meet I ran, I had a little niggle so to come out here and run 9 seconds, that’s something good for me,” said Seville. “I am not really satisfied with my execution but I had to run a little bit conservatively, but I am happy with the second phase of the race.”

“It’s a good competition knowing that Jamaica is back as one of the top sprinting nations once again; and for me and Kishane to put on this performance on our Jamaican soil, it is something good for us going into the championships. We can definitely push each other.”

Third place in the event went to South African Gift Leotleta who ran 10.04 seconds to beat his countryman, 19-year-old Bayanda Walaza, 10.06, into fourth.

Meanwhile, the women’s 100m clash saw Tina Clayton rediscover the form that made her the top junior in 2021 and 2022, after she stopped the clock at 10.98 (+1.8m/s) for her first sub-11 since August 2022.

The respective women’s and men’s 100m winners Tina Clayton and Kishane Thompson react at the end of Racers Grand Prix at the National Stadium on Saturday, June 7, 2025.

American Jacious Spears ran 11.04 for second, with Alana Reid in 11.16 finishing third. The 100m hurdles world record holder Tobi Amusan was fourth in 11.18, with Tia Clayton, the Olympic finalist, finishing fifth in 11.24 after seemingly running into difficulties close to the end of the race.

Some feel it is only a matter of time before he breaks Aries Merritt’s 12.80 seconds world record and Rasheed Broadbell, 13.06 (+0.6m/s), a bronze medallist at the Paris Olympics, certainly looked ominous while getting the better of the speedy American Trey Cunningham (13.08) — a silver medal winner at the 2022 World Championships — in another exciting finish. Eric Edwards Jr was third in 13.40.

Broadbell, never short on confidence, believes his speed off the final hurdle is unmatched, and pointed to this for his win.

“Each time I run, I get better and better. I think I kept it clean but the aim was to try and get out. I didn’t do that today but I am okay with the time. The last two hurdles, I realised he was right there but finishing the last hurdle and going to the line, I don’t think anyone has as much speed as I do so I just trusted my body and had a little fun in the end,” said Broadbell who indicated after crossing the line that he has a lot more to come.

The build-up to the men’s 200m was centred around the return of Christopher Taylor, who was running the event for the first time since 2022, following his whereabouts rule violation suspension.

However it was Bryan Levell who grabbed the headlines, attacking the curve and gliding on to the straight in picture-perfect form to clock a wind-aided 19.79 (+2.5m/s), with Taylor taking second in 20.39. Naeem Jack (South Africa) was third in 20.46. Corrected for wind speed and considering Kingston’s 9.14m elevation, Levell’s time sits at approximately 19.94 seconds.

World champion Jackson seemed to have more to give as she took the women’s 200m in 22.53, ahead of Canada’s Audrey Leduc, 22.80, and American Caisja Chandler, 22.92.

Shericka Jackson (left) pulls away from Audrey Leduc in the women’s 200m race during Racers Grand Prix at the National Stadium on Saturday.

World Championships silver medallist Wayne Pinnock disturbed the sand at 7.97m on his third attempt in the men’s long jump, which proved enough for the win. Second place went to Emanuel Archibald, 7.83m, with Jeremiah Davis taking third in 7.80m.

American Christopher Bailey has been quite consistent in the 400m, and after his 44.74 seconds win ahead of Delano Kennedy, 45.22, he says the aim is to get into the sub-43 seconds club before the end of the season.

“That’s the goal and I hope to run it at the right time, either at the US trials or at the championships in Tokyo. I know it’s in the books for me,” said Bailey.

Third place went to Elija Godwin in 45.43.

Stacey-Ann Williams, 50.56, has been showing steady progress but had to settle for second in the women’s 400m behind American Lynna Irby-Jackson, 50.23, with Sada Williams, 51.65, taking third.

Roshawn Clarke, 48.65, was also impressive in the 400m hurdles, outlasting Assinie Wilson, 48.77, with Malik James-King, 49.87, taking third. Barbados’s Tia-Adana Belle took the women’s equivalent in 55.74 ahead of Sanique Walker, 55.78, and Bianca Stubler, 56.52.

Meanwhile, the 100m ‘B’ races were won by Jonielle Smith, 11.10 seconds, and Sandrey Davison, 10.07, while the in the women’s triple jump Cuba’s Davisleydi Velazco clocked 14.26m ahead of Jamaican Ackelia Smith, 13.83m.