CHORZOW, Poland, (CMC) -Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson avenged his narrow Olympic defeat by storming past reigning champion Noah Lyles to win the men’s 100m at the Silesia Diamond League here on Saturday.
In their first head-to-head since Lyles pipped him by 0.005 seconds for gold at the Paris Games last year, Thompson blazed to victory in a meet-record-equaling 9.87 seconds.
The American superstar settled for second in 9.90, with compatriot Kenny Bednarek taking third in a time of 9.96.
“It felt alright. My job is to get the job done,” said Thompson, who missed the 2023 World Championships but now looms as a Tokyo title contender next month.
Despite the comprehensive victory, the Stephen Francis-coached Jamaican downplayed the hype. “Honestly, I compete against myself, no offence to the competition.”
Lyles, despite the loss, found positives. “This is a great stepping stone. I needed to see a sub-10, needed to beat top guys. Taking out 9.7, 9.8 runners builds confidence for Tokyo.”
Drawn in lane five, Thompson exploded from the blocks in sweltering conditions, leaving Lyles, who had the slowest reaction time (0.171s), scrambling early. The Olympic champ rallied late to snatch silver from Bednarek, but Thompson’s bullet start proved decisive.
The win matched the 9.87 meet record shared by Americans Ronnie Baker and Fred Kerley, though it fell short of Thompson’s world-leading 9.75 at June’s Jamaican trials, the sixth-fastest time in history.