TOKYO, Japan — Celebrated track and field coach, Stephen Francis offered a measured assessment of Jamaica’s silver-medal performances from Kishane Thompson and Tina Clayton at the World Athletics Championships, praising Clayton’s poise and execution while urging Thompson to deliver more consistently at the senior level.

Clayton, 21, who only made the transition to the senior international stage this season, impressed in the women’s 100m, running with maturity and composure to secure her first global medal at this level.

Francis, who has overseen the development of several of Jamaica’s most decorated sprinters, was particularly pleased with the young star’s ability to hold her nerve and execute when it mattered most.

“Well, obviously, she did very well. I try to hope that everybody runs at least what they run at the trials [2025 JAAA/Puma National Junior & Senior Championships] –– and, for the most part, that is okay and Tina, she did very well,” Francis told the Jamaica Observer. “She did well for somebody who is relatively new to this level. I think the level of execution, given the fact that she did not make a lot of mistakes, stood out.”

Francis noted that while Clayton’s success might have seemed like a major surprise to some, history shows that several of Jamaica’s sprint icons under his instructions made early breakthroughs on the global stage.

“You will remember that a lot of people — Shelly-Ann [Fraser-Pryce], Elaine [Thompson-Herah], Shericka [Jackson] — they all did that in their first championship, so doing it in your first is not new for us,” Francis pointed out. “But what I said, I think, the level of execution — given the fact that she did not make a lot of mistakes — was very good.”

On the men’s side, Thompson, who lit up the Jamaican championships in June, clocking a world-leading 9.75 seconds and entering Tokyo as one of the gold medal favourites in the 100m, had to settle for silver behind compatriot Oblique Seville who won gold in 9.77.

Francis was less impressed with the powerful sprinter’s execution, suggesting that the 24-year-old did not replicate the sharpness he demonstrated earlier in the season.

“I would say that he did not deliver the kind of performance that was expected, and what is expected is for him to do at least as well as what he did at the trials,” Francis assessed. “So we will have to go and see why that happened and make sure that the next time he can do just as well as he did earlier.”

While Francis acknowledged that a full review of Thompson’s performance is still to come, he was clear that the expectations going forward must be higher, given the young sprinter’s immense talent and potential.

Beyond his athletes’ performances, Francis also expressed strong concerns about the organisation of the Tokyo World Championships, describing it as one of the poorest he has ever attended.

“This is poor. This is the worst world championships I have seen organisationally. I mean, it’s not the fault of the Japanese [as] I think they did whatever they were allowed to by World Athletics, who increasingly forgets that the athletes are the show,” Francis said. “There are many issues, a lot, and that would need another 15 minutes to discuss.”

One of the major issues here is the distance between the warm-up track and the competition venue, with athletes forced to end their warm-up close to an hour before race time in order to be transported to the venue.

“… [E]ven the fact that the athletes had to wait nine and 10 hours to check in at the hotel — it was all downhill from there,” Francis stated.

Both Clayton and Thompson have since turned their attention to their 4x100m relay duties, and both were in training with the rest of the group on Tuesday.

FRANCIS… I think the level of execution, given the fact that she did not make a lot of mistakes, stood out. Photo: Garfield Robinson

Jamaica’s Tina Clayton races in the women’s 100m final during the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan, on September 14, 2025. Photo: AFP