Who said the big names always dominate? While we expected Olympic champion Julien Alfred and Sha’Carri Richardson to rule the track at the start of the outdoor season, both have yet to step into the starting blocks for a 100m showdown. Instead, it’s a teenage sensation from Jamaica that’s stealing all the headlines! The young phenom from Usain Bolt’s homeland is busy setting the track ablaze with times that make some veterans nervous. The Jamaican Championships revealed so!

Well, Jamaican young sprinter Sabrina Dockery is making serious waves in the track world! At just 18 years old, she’s become the fastest in the 100m this year with a blistering 11.08s (+0.8) performance at Jamaica’s National Stadium in Kingston on March 26th. What makes this even more impressive? Her time is faster than some seasoned veterans like New Zealand’s Zoe Hobbs, who represented her country at the Olympics.

Let’s put this in perspective – Dockery’s 11.08s would have earned her 8th place in last year’s Olympic final! The 8th position at the Olympics was 13.84s, meaning this teenager was faster than that, and she was just 0.04 seconds away from seventh in the Olympics. Pretty remarkable for someone born in 2006, right? The Kingston performance wasn’t just a one-off either.

It came after she had already turned heads at the Jamaican Championships, where she ran 11.12s in the semis before claiming the title with that 11.08s masterclass. This makes her the second-fastest winner in event history (just behind Alana Reid), the 5th fastest Jamaican junior ever, and the fastest U20 sprinter in the world this year. But Dockery’s path hasn’t been without drama.

In the 200m, after breezing through heats with a 23.22s, she faced heartbreak with a disqualification due to a false start – the same fate she suffered last year. Following protests from her school, Lacovia High, she got a second chance, running 23.88 seconds under immense pressure to earn back her spot. Meanwhile, the established stars are making interesting moves of their own.

Sha’Carri Richardson, the American sprint sensation, hasn’t raced since last September and is trying to start her season. And Saint Lucia’s Olympic champion Julien Alfred hasn’t competed in the 100m yet this year, though she’s been active in other events. Alfred has run a 300m at The Track at New Balance in Boston (36.16s) back in February, a 400m at Clemson (52.97s) in mid-February, and was part of a 4x400m relay team that clocked 3:25.20 at the end of March in Austin.

A new crop of athletes is making a big impact before the start of the outdoor season

A new generation of sprinters is making its mark in the 100m and is even inching closer to the times set by Olympic stars in Paris last year. Julien Alfred dominated the Olympic final with a stunning 10.72s to take gold, while Sha’Carri Richardson (10.87s) and Melissa Jefferson (10.92s) secured silver and bronze. Now, in 2025, a fresh wave of talent is emerging, determined to bridge the gap.

Jamaica’s Sabrina Dockery has already spelled danger at just 18 years of age as she clocked 11.08s in Kingston, the fastest time so far. Right behind her, a trio of American sprinters is proving the U.S. has no shortage of speed. Alexis Brown (11.13s), Joyasia Smith (11.21s), and Jassani Carter (11.22s) are all pushing the limits. India Mayberry and Naomi London, both still teenagers, have matched those times, showing that the next generation is already knocking on the door.

At first glance, they’re still a few strides behind the Olympic podium finishers. But when you look at progression, the shift is clear. Tia Clayton, who finished seventh in Paris with 11.04s, is now only fractions ahead of Dockery and considering the rapid improvement these rising stars are showing, it is pretty clear they can challenge the elite sprinters.