Reigning national 100m champion Kishane Thompson on Friday sent a clear message to his rivals that he is hungrier than ever and fully focused on achieving even greater success on the track this season.

Thompson delivered a stunning performance at the National Stadium, clocking a blistering personal best 9.75 seconds to defend his title. He erased his previous best time of 9.77 set at last year’s National Championships at the same venue.

Now, the Paris 2024 Olympic silver medallist is brimming with confidence and believes the best is yet to come.

“To be honest, I don’t think I am ever going to surprise myself,” Thompson told journalists after the hotly contested race. “I know how capable I am. For me, it is just to understand my speed a bit more and trust it. Get the execution down to the dotted I and cross the T. Yes, I am that confident.”

Despite his rapid rise and accolades, including his Olympic medal last year, Thompson remains grounded and driven by a relentless desire to succeed.

“…I work because I want to win; I want to achieve certain goals, all the accolades. That is just me,” he asserted. I am a very hungry person. I am not really a media person, to say much, but I let my action on the track do the talking,” Thompson added.

Reflecting on the lessons learnt from last season, Thompson pointed out that the experience of competing at the highest level under pressure has shaped his mindset heading into this year.

“Last year gave me a bit of grit and a calm feeling, knowing that under immense pressure, when your back is against the wall, it comes down to that goal that you have always wanted and worked for all season,” he said. “Doing it more and more gives you a calm feeling to know that, hey, it is within my grasp and I just have to claim it.”

Thompson said that he is also grateful for the improvements in his training and overall physical condition, noting that he is able to run more consistently.

“Preparations have been a bit better. Obviously, I am running a bit more, so I am pretty grateful.”

While many fans often marvel at what athletes do on the track, Thompson has used Friday’s interview to point out the physical sacrifices they make behind the scenes.

“We are athletes. We push our bodies tremendously. You guys are not going to know, and we are not going to tell you, but we are out there running with niggles,” he said. “I think the public can bear with the athletes because they don’t understand what we go through. We just do what we have to do at the end of the day. A lot of people line up and want to win, despite having problems,” Thompson indicated.