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Stephen Francis has revealed the special quality about Kishane Thompson that will make him a pain in the neck for other rivals for the rest of his career after winning silver at the Paris Olympics.
Legendary Jamaican coach Stephen Francis believes rising sprint star Kishane Thompson possesses a key attribute that could make him an unstoppable force on the track in the coming years.
Following a breakout season capped by an Olympic silver medal in the men’s 100 meters at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Francis has high hopes for Thompson, whom many now view as Jamaica’s next sprint sensation.
In a thrilling Olympic final, Thompson narrowly missed the gold, finishing milliseconds behind Noah Lyles.
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16:13 - 25.10.2024
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The race ended with Lyles clocking a personal best of 9.79 seconds, with Thompson just behind at the same time, 9.79 seconds, and Fred Kerley securing bronze in 9.81 seconds.
Known for his powerful mid-race drive, especially between 60 and 80 meters, Thompson found himself outside his usual rhythm, running the entire 100 meters at maximum effort.
Though his powerful mid-race acceleration carried him to silver, Francis believes a slower-than-ideal reaction time out of the blocks ultimately hindered Thompson’s chances at gold.
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16:30 - 23.10.2024
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Greene has slammed modern sprinters for misguided priorities despite the modern technology now in place to make them faster, which he believes have led to a lack of progression since the Usain Bolt days.
Francis, who has coached several elite Jamaican athletes to world success, acknowledged the need for Thompson to sharpen his start but praised the runner’s adaptability and commitment to continuous improvement.
“He has drastically improved this year and I think he will continue to do that gradually,” Francis commented on Nationwide 90 FM prior to the Olympics.
“There are things that need fixing. His start is one,” he noted, confident in Thompson’s ability to refine his technique over time. “He learns well and will make up his technical deficiencies gradually.”
Despite the hamstring strain Thompson mentioned after his semi-final race, his resilience in the final left Francis confident in the young sprinter’s future. Francis speculated that a technically polished Thompson could consistently clock times in the 9.6 range, potentially joining the ranks of history’s fastest sprinters.
“Based on what I saw in the final (of the Jamaican Olympic trials), I think if he had maintained that burst of speed between 40 and 60 meters, he probably would have run 9.69 or 9.70,” Francis suggested last June.
However, the coach remains focused on the fundamentals for Thompson’s career, saying, “I don’t want him worrying about world records. For his future, he needs to first become an Olympic medalist, and then we’ll work on everything else afterwards.”
As Thompson prepares for future seasons, his combination of drive, coachability, and Francis’s guidance may very well see him dominate the sprinting world for years to come.
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