PARIS, France — Following Kishane Thompson’s silver medal in the men’s 100m at the Olympic Games in Paris on Sunday, former world 100m record holder Asafa Powell expressed confidence in his ability to dominate the event at upcoming world championships. Thompson clocked 9.79 seconds to secure the silver medal on Sunday. American world champion Noah Lyles, who also clocked 9.79 seconds, was awarded the victory ahead of the Jamaican. Thompson’s 100m medal was the first for a Jamaican man in any major global championships since Usain Bolt’s bronze at the World Championships in 2017.

“It [men’s sprinting] is on the rise, and it is obvious,” Powell said. “You have [Oblique] Seville, you have Kishane, and I think the next few championships are going to be Jamaica, Jamaica, or maybe just one US mixed in the Jamaican mixture. So, I think Jamaica is going to dominate again.”

Powell says Thompson should remain focused, continue to train hard, and not get too carried away with his new-found fame.

“My advice for him is just to stay how he is,” he said. “He is running great; just continue to do what he is doing. I don’t see where he made a mistake, maybe he could have gotten out of the start a lot better, but he maintained his composure despite whatever happened. He ran through to the finish line and got a silver medal. It is for him to continue what he is doing right now and keep a level head.

“I am very proud of him because it was his very first championship, and he stood his ground and managed to come home with a medal with a time of 9.79 seconds. That is amazing.”

Thompson is coached by Stephen Francis, who also guided Powell to the most sub-10 times in the history of male sprinting.

“He has very high hopes,” Powell said. “I was looking actually for 9.75 in the final, and I think if he had gotten the regular start that he used to, he would have gotten 9.75. It is just for him to stay healthy, and once he stays healthy, he is going to be a dangerous guy.”

Powell, known as the ‘Sub-10 King’, set the 100m world record twice between June 2005 and May 2008 with times of 9.77 and 9.74 seconds. He won bronze medals in the 100m at the 2007 and 2009 World Championships and gold medals in the 4x100m at the 2009 and 2015 championships, as well as silver at the 2007 instalment. At the Olympic Games, Powell was a member of Jamaica’s gold medal-winning team at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. He is also a five-time gold medal winner at the World Athletics Final and a two-time Diamond League 100m winner.