Noah Lyles v Kishane Thompson: The 100m sprint rivalry that could ignite at Paris 2024

Semi-finals and final to take place on Sunday as both sprinters aim to be crowned the fastest man on the planet

Noah Lyles and Kishane Thompson are rated among the favourites for Olympic 100m gold. PA Photo, AFP

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One of the marquee events of this or any other Olympics – the men's 100m sprint – looks set to be wide open and ultra-competitive.

The American Noah Lyles might be heading to Paris 2024 as the reigning world champion following his victory in Budapest last year – but he will not start as the outright favourite for the title. That honour goes to the emerging force that is Jamaica's Kishane Thompson.

The charismatic Lyles registered a personal best of 9.81 seconds at the London Diamond League final last month and heads into the biggest summer of his career in top form and full of confidence. He excitedly told the BBC after that race that he is targeting both the Olympic title and the world record this summer.

Lyles has six golds from world championships across the 100m, his signature 200m and sprint relays but has only one bronze medal – secured in the 200m in Tokyo three years ago – to show for his previous two Olympic campaigns.

This is the summer all that is meant to change for the 27-year-old Floridian whose form and body of work make him a compelling contender.

He will not be the quickest man on the start line, though. This year that is Thompson, whose world-leading time of 9.77s has seen him installed as a slight favourite for gold. Kenya's Ferdinand Omanyala also has a quicker PB (9.77s, set in 2021) and season's best (9.79s from national trials). Fellow American Fred Kerley has a better PB (9.76s) but that was set three years ago.

The 100m title, and with it the claim as the fastest man on the planet, is a curious accolade in that – a lot like boxing's heavyweight championship – its prestige and reach are amplified by the star power of its owner.

Just as interest in boxing skyrocketed when Muhammad Ali or Mike Tyson held the title, track and field soared as Usain Bolt dominated sprinting.

There's no doubt that the sport has slipped into a lull in the post-Bolt era – his mind-blowing world record of 9.58s still seems untouchable for the current crop – but an explosive 100m competition on the biggest stage has the potential to draw a huge global audience this summer.

Nothing elevates sport like a rivalry, so perhaps Lyles versus Thompson can emerge as a duel worthy of previous golden eras of sprinting, like Bolt's tussles with Asafa Powell, Yohan Blake or, especially, Justin Gatlin.

Who is Kishane Thompson?

Thompson's rapid times and sharp improvement make him a man to watch in Paris. At 23, the Jamaican seems to be getting better all the time after putting injury problems behind him.

Thompson stormed to victory at the Jamaican National Championships with 9.77s on the clock – the world’s fastest 100m time in two years and fastest by a Jamaican since Bolt's retirement.

It made him the joint-ninth fastest man of all time and fourth fastest Jamaican behind Bolt (9.58s), Blake (9.69s) and Powell (9.72s).

Thompson’s victory marked a statement of intent, shaving five hundredths off his result in the previous day’s heats. He had been running for the first time since the end of his debut campaign in September 2023, when he ran 9.87s at the Prefontaine Classic in Oregon.

The St Catherine native is coached by the legendary Stephen "Franno" Francis who has guided numerous Jamaican athletes and Olympic champions. Francis coached the last four women’s 100m champions and trained Powell, who Thompson is only five hundredths behind. Among the other big names the Jamaican coach has mentored are Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce, Michael Frater and Brigitte Foster-Hylton.

Thompson is powerfully built but with an easy on the eye and languid running style. His return to form and fitness ahead of the Games adds a fascinating layer to the race, as despite his world-leading PB he remains something of an unknown quantity.

Who else is in the mix?

With Thompson rated as the favourite for gold and Lyles just behind, there are several other notable contenders in a race that appears to be there for the taking.

Thompson's fellow Jamaican Oblique Seville has shown consistently good form this season, twice running a PB time of 9.82s. The 23-year-old, coached by Bolt's former mentor Glen Mills, looked electric when he beat Lyles into second place at June's Racers Grand Prix.

Africa will have three men hoping to deliver the continent's first 100m gold since 1908. Omanyala ran 9.79s at national trials but his PB outside of Africa is 9.85s, set as he came third in the 2023 Prefontaine Classic ahead of Thompson but behind Lyles and winner Christian Coleman who is absent from the field in Paris.

Then there is Botswana's rising star Letsile Tebogo, 21, who set a PB of 9.88s in winning silver at the world championships last year. He is also a former U20 world champion and another with a bright future ahead of him.

South Africa's Akani Simbine is capable of producing mid-9.8s, while Lyles' fellow Americans Kerley and Kenny Bednarek could be a threat if at their best.

Italy's Marcell Jacobs, a surprise winner in 9.80s in Tokyo, will attempt to defend his crown.

Great Britain's world bronze medallist Zharnel Hughes will hope to be in the mix, while teammate Louie Hinchliffe, coached by American great Carl Lewis, has had a breakout year, winning the NCAA title.