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Kishane Thompson’s lightning-fast 9.75s run places him just behind five sprinting legends, led by world record holder Usain Bolt.
Kishane Thompson made headlines at the 2025 Jamaican Olympic Trials after clocking an astonishing 9.75 seconds in the men’s 100m final, becoming the fastest man in the world this year and the sixt-fastest in history.
The performance launched him into the elite echelon of global sprinting, placing him just behind five iconic names who have officially run faster times.
Pulse Sports takes a look at five of the only athletes faster than Kishane Thompson.
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5. Justin Gatlin (USA) – 9.74 seconds
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At 33 years old, Justin Gatlin delivered his fastest-ever time in Doha, 2015, proving age is just a number.
Gatlin was a perennial rival to Bolt and held off younger competitors for years thanks to his consistency and veteran savvy.
Gatlin remains on of the fastest men to ever grace the track, fifth on the all time list and second ever in America.
4. Asafa Powell (Jamaica) – 9.72 seconds
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Before Bolt redefined sprinting, Asafa Powell was the face of Jamaican speed.
Powell's 9.72 from 2008 came during a dominant stretch where he broke the 100m world record twice and held more sub-10s than any sprinter in history at the time.
Powell together with the likes of Bolt and Yohan Blake redefined Jamaican sprinting.
3. Yohan Blake (Jamaica) – 9.69 seconds
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Nicknamed “The Beast,” Yohan Blake recorded his personal best in 2012, the same year he won Olympic silver behind Bolt.
Blake's compact frame and powerful stride made him one of the most feared sprinters during his peak.
While he often came up second best to Usain Bolt his raw speed etched his name into the annals of athletics history.
2. Tyson Gay (USA) – 9.69 seconds
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America’s all-time best, Tyson Gay tied Blake’s mark in 2009 in Shanghai.
Known for his technically smooth running style, Gay was a dominant force in the post-Athens era and the only man to run sub-9.70 without wind assistance.
Gay is one of the only few sprinters who challenged Bolt and got the better of the Jamaican icon albeit while still relatively inexperienced.
1. Usain Bolt (Jamaica) – 9.58 seconds
The undisputed fastest man in history, Bolt’s world record at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin remains untouched.
Bolt's unique combination of height, stride length, and relaxed power revolutionized sprinting and set a standard that still stands tall.
Many like Gatlin, Blake and Gay, challenged his dominance but they were all unsuccessfull often coming up second best to the Jamaican sensation.
With his 9.75s run at the Jamaican Trials, Thompson became the fourth-fastest Jamaican ever and entered the top 10 all-time list globally, placing sixth.
His 9.79s silver medal performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics, narrowly losing to Noah Lyles in a photo finish only adds to his rising legacy.
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