Criticized for Poor Showing, Kishane Thompson’s Miramar Invitational Performance Backed by US Olympic Medalist

Kishane Thompson has his eyes fixed on the World Championship in Tokyo in September. “Japan is the goal where everyone is going for the goal, you know? So that’s the aim,” he said in a recent interview. Last year, he went from a relative unknown on the international stage to having a breakout season. From a blistering 9.77-second run at the Jamaican Olympic Trials to claiming silver at the Paris Olympics, Thompson established himself as one of Jamaica’s premier sprinters, and his rise brought more attention and, naturally, more scrutiny. So when Thompson suffered a setback with a defeat at the 2025 Miramar Invitational, the first major race of the season, criticism poured in.

He didn’t get off to the ideal start in his first outdoor race of the season. With him being his team’s anchor in the 4x100m relay, everyone’s eyes were on him. But things just didn’t go as planned. From the moment he grabbed the baton, Kishane was already trailing behind the Dominicans. By the time the final whistle was up, the Jamaicans managed just 39.11s as their Caribbean rivals jogged to an easy 38.95s victory. Social media was flooded with questions over Thompson’s form, while the rest of the Jamaican team also faced criticism. But US sprint legend and Olympic gold medalist has a different take.

Justin Gatlin, just like many others, had his eyes were also on the Miramar Invitational happening in Florida. And while the competition remains an exhibition race, the critics were quick to point out Kishane’s inefficiency. But on the Ready Set Go Podcast on April 11, the duo of Rodney Green and Gatlin were rather patient and asked the fans to hold in their panic.

Talking about Kishane’s performance, Gaitlin pointed out, “Let’s not be up in arms right now. Kishane is just coming back into form; he is putting himself together, and once again, it was basically a flying 100. You can’t expect someone to go out there and catch someone if they’re not in their top shape just yet. So, let’s hold on. Let the man get himself ready. I guarantee y’all be cheering and clapping for him by the time May, June July come around.” 

This was Kishane easing into his season. Remember, he’s had injury issues before. In fact, during the Olympic semifinals last year, he pulled up and later had to withdraw from the Silesia Diamond League due to a hamstring strain.

Thompson started the season in impressive fashion, posting a blistering 6.48 seconds in the 60m in Spanish Town, Jamaica, in the year’s first meet. His time was just 0.06s slower than the Jamaican record held by Ackeem Blake. Then, in the indoor circuit, he clocked a winning 6.56s in the 60m at the Astana Indoor Meet, a solid time but done with visible discomfort.

He was initially set to represent Jamaica at the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China, but ultimately chose to skip the event to focus fully on preparing for the outdoor season. Hence, Miramar was just a feel-out. Even for team Jamaica, this was just the start of the season, and there is a long way to go.

“Fans have to realize that it’s different for professional athletes in track and field. This is the time of the season where athletes are getting their feet wet a little bit,” Gaitlin added. Translation? April isn’t for fireworks, but it’s for testing the engine. “They’ve been training for a while… fixing and tweaking everything through April and then going out there in May and starting to see them put it together.” While the defeat was hard to take, it is pertinent to mention that Jamaica was without its top two names- Oblique Seville and Ackeem Blake.

Both Blake and Seville are among the nation’s elite. Seville clocked 9.91s last year at the Paris Olympics and secured the 8th position in the 100m final. Blake, who also went sub-10 last season, has been Jamaica’s rising force. Missing those two is like running a relay with your B-team. Rodney Green also cleared that up during the podcast.

“I was talking to a few Jamaicans this weekend… and they were asking me what I think,” Green recalled. “And I was like, I don’t measure, and I’m going to tell you what I think, and then you tell me what you think. I’m happy that Sainta Domingo ran a fast time at 38.9s. I said, you don’t read too much into that 4×1 Jamaican. Two of the fastest Jamaicans were in the Grand Slam… Oblique Seville and a Keem (Ackeem Blake).” 

“Once you add them two…what are we talking about?” he added. But what about Kishane’s leg? Why didn’t he close it out? “Kishane probably didn’t want to open up in any event, and he agreed I got to run. I want to spin my legs a little, so I’ll do the 4×1.” That’s right; relay anchor legs aren’t from a block start, and if you’re not in top form, you’re not chasing anyone down. Thompson knows this and admitted that preparation hasn’t been flawless as he targets World Championship glory.

“It’s not perfect, the only perfection that I can see is me improving. If it’s perfect, you don’t have any room for improvement. So that’s a thing that I love about it. If it’s perfect, it means it has reached its peak. For me, you know, it’s always about bettering my best,” Thompson told AFP.

But is Kishane really fine? After all, this season already had its moments.

Kishane Thompson targets top form in 2025 after injury setbacks

Fans immediately think of that photo finish against Noah Lyles in the Paris Olympics whenever Kishane Thompson is mentioned. A few milliseconds here and there, and Thompson would have been an Olympic gold medalist. But Kishane isn’t dwelling on it.

“It’s gone and passed,” Thompson told AFP. “I can’t look back. And I mean, I can reflect on my mistakes. I know what I could have done better and what I’ve done wrong, but it doesn’t help if I’m going to be angry. I’ve just got to accept it and move on. It’s moving forward from here. I should say it was a great year.”

Under the guidance of renowned coach Stephen Francis, who has developed numerous Jamaican sprint legends, Thompson is refining his approach heading into 2025.

He started his season indoors in Astana, romping to victory but the setback in Miramir hints at chinks in the armor.

Kishane Thompson is slated to compete in the men’s 100m at the Diamond League meet in Keqiao, China, this May. The race promises to be a thrilling showdown, with Thompson possibly head-to-head against Olympic champion Noah Lyles, along with sprint standouts Letsile Tebogo and Marcell Jacobs.

That race might give us a better indication of where Thompson lies in his quest for more glory this season.