Meet Kishane Thompson: The fastest sprinter this year hoping to be the next Usain Bolt at Paris 2024 Olympics

KISHANE Thompson is one to watch at the 2024 Olympics after storming to a phenomenal win in his national championships.

Here’s all we know about the sprinter who hopes to add his name to Jamaican athletics history at Paris 2024.

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Getty

AP

Who is Kishane Thompson?

Kishane Thompson is a sprinter from Jamaica.

He was born on July 17, 2001, and is a twin. His brother’s name is Kishawn.

Kishane competes over 100 metres.

He is only in his second season as a professional, but he’s heading to the Olympics after a storming win at his country’s trials.

Thompson became the fastest man of 2024 with a run of 9.77 seconds in the 100 metres at his country’s Olympic trials.

This time made him the joint-ninth fastest man in history, and the fourth fastest Jamaican in history, behind Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake, and Asafa Powell.

It also bagged him a place on the plane to Paris 2024.

Now the runner is hoping to take this momentum into the Olympics and join the legends who have already brought home the gold for his country.

What country does Kishane Thompson represent?

Kishane is representing Jamaica at the Paris Olympics.

The pressure’s on though – his country has had huge success over the years in track and field events.

At Beijing in 2008, Usain Bolt stole the show when he took home gold with a world record-breaking performance in both the 100 metre and 200 metre events.

There were golds that year too for Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in the women’s 100 metres and for Veronica Campbell-Brown in the 200 metre race.

Bolt then went on to win gold in the 100 metre and 200 metre events in 2012 and 2016, along with two 4 x 100 relay gold medals.

However at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics there was no Jamaican in the men’s 100 metre final, which was won by Italian, Lamont Marcell Jacobs .

And Kishane will be hoping to put that right with a final place – and gold medal – in Paris .

Bolt is widely considered to be the greatest sprinter of all time – but could Kishane be the one to surpass him?

When will Kishane Thompson compete in the Paris 2024 Olympics?

The Paris 2024 Olympics get underway on Friday, July 26, 2024, at the Stade de France.

Thompson will be competing in the men’s 100 metre event, which starts with qualifying on Saturday, August 3.

The semi-final takes place the following day, with the final later on that evening at 8.50pm BST.

The fastest man on earth in 2024 is also competing in the men’s 4 x 100 relay.

The heats take place on August 8, with the finals on August 9, 2024.

The sprint specialist is not part of the line-up for the 200 metres.

BBC's Olympics line-up in full

Presenters:

• Clare Balding
• Gabby Logan
• Hazel Irvine
• Isa Guha
• Jeanette Kwakye
• JJ Chalmers
• Mark Chapman

Studio guests:

• Beth Tweddle
• Chris Hoy
• Denise Lewis
• Fred Sirieix
• Jessica Ennis-Hill
• Kate Richardson-Walsh
• Katherine Grainger
• Laura Kenny
• Mark Foster
• Michael Johnson
• Nicola Adams
• Rebecca Adlington
• Tonia Couch

Radio:

• Adrian Chiles
• Eleanor Oldroyd
• Kelly Cates
• Mark Chapman
• Naga Munchetty
• Tony Livesey