12.9.2025
World record holder in the 100m Usain Bolt said he is banking on compatriots Kishane Thompson and Oblique Seville to dominate the men’s 100m at the Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships.
Since bolt left the scene at London 2012 Olympics Jamaica has no big win in the men’s sprints to celebrate, but according to Bolt who is Tokyo for the event he expects a one-two finish in the final.
“I am definitely looking forward to the men’s 100m. Kishane and Oblique have definitely shown this season that they are doing extremely well and I’m happy to see their execution so far,” said Bolt, whose men’s 100m triumph at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro was the last by a Jamaican in the event at a global championship.
“They should be one-two because they have proven throughout the season that they are at the top and they are running fast times, so it’s just about execution and I’m looking forward to going into the stadium and, hopefully, I will be able to present the gold medal to one of them,” Bolt added.
Thompson, who won silver at the Olympic Games last year, in what was his first championship, has the fastest time in the world this year after clocking a personal best 9.75 seconds at the National Senior Championships in June. Seville’s 9.83 seconds, done at the same championship, ranks him as the fifth-fastest man this year but he will be the fourth-fastest in Tokyo due to the absence of countryman and the third-fastest in the world, Bryan Levell (9.82), from the event.
Ackeem Blake, the other Jamaican representative in the 100m, enters the championship with a 9.88 seconds season’s best, which puts him at number 11 in the world and number eight at the championship.
Americans Kenny Bednarek, who lowered his PB to 9.79 this year and Noah Lyles, despite only going 9.90 so far this season are seen as the main threats in the anticipated classic Jamaica vs USA sprint showdown.
“I think we have a very good chance this year but it’s all about if they can execute and hold their heads, just not listen to the noise and just go out there and execute. There is no reason why they can’t be in the top two because they are in the top fastest times this year and they have been competing and doing well so it’s just about going out there and executing and they should be fine and I am very confident that they can get it done,” Bolt assessed.
Jamaica is the second-most successful country in the men’s 100m at the World Championships with 10 medals including 4 gold, 2 silver and 4 bronze. The USA has won 29 medals in the event, 12 gold, 11 silver and 6 bronze.
