Things Look Terrible for Kishane Thompson as Unattended Faults Highlight After World Relays

In 2024, at the iconic Stade de France during the most prestigious event of all—the Olympics—Team Jamaica entered the men’s 4x100m relay with high hopes. Kishane Thompson – the man who had freshly breathed down the neck of Noah Lyles and ensured a silver medal, now wanted one in relays as well. Despite the anticipation, Jamaica failed to secure a place in the relay final. They finished fourth in their heat with a time of 38.45 seconds, narrowly missing out on the top three automatic qualification spots. The team’s downfall stemmed largely from shaky baton handoffs—most notably between Jelani Walker and Jehlani Gordon, and then from Gordon to Thompson. What could have been the next stop for Thompson to show off some speed in relays? World relays, right? Things only got worse there. How?

“Jamaica does not qualify for the World Championships in the men’s 4x100m,” reported NBC Sports Director of Social Media, Travis Miller on X. He further wrote, “Olympic silver medalist Kishane Thompson did not touch a baton at #WorldRelays, DNF after Julian Forte pulled up on the second leg.” The athlete who almost beat Noah Lyles in Paris is not going to the World Championships for men’s 4x100m in Japan. He could not even get a hold of the baton in both of the races because something or other had the Jamaican team disqualified before he could even start.

On May 10, 2025, in the Men’s 4×100 meters relays, the Jamaican team dropped the baton. Rohan Watson gave a good start to the team, but when the time came for the two most experienced runners of the team to exchange the baton, Julian Forte and Yohan Blake, they fumbled. A disappointed Kishane Thompson looked back at the two of them while the other runners passed by his side, and the Jamaican team slipped from second to last in a matter of mere seconds. But hopes did not die for them there.

According to the rules of the championships, teams that fail to progress to the final in the five relays–men’s and women’s 4x100m and 4x400m and the mixed 4x400m–get another chance to run in the second round. So when May 11th came, Kishane Thompson stepped onto the track with a new hope and light in his eyes. The lights were extinguished soon. The Jamaican team entered the repechage round, and once again Rohan Watson pulled up a good start, but then things went south in the exchange between Julian Forte and Yohan Blake.

 

Jamaica does not qualify for the World Championships in the men’s 4x100m.

Olympic silver medalist Kishane Thompson did not touch a baton at #WorldRelays, DNF after Julian Forte pulled up on the second leg. pic.twitter.com/6DhhZaE87v

— Travis Miller (@travismillerx13) May 11, 2025

Blake was ready in his position for the baton to land in his hands, but Forte’s destiny did not play along. When the time for baton exchange came, Forte could be seen jumping – that was the first warning. The very next moment, the Jamaican track and field athlete landed on the ground. Jamaica was disqualified. Kishane Thompson’s hopes, dead. A total horror. The Olympian didn’t even get a chance to put his legs to the test in the 2025 World Relays. As for Julian Forte, he had to leave the track in a wheelchair. But it is not all dead and dusted for them yet.

In the recent episode of The Final Leg, Anderson Emerole said, “They have until August 24th to be able to get a time that would put them in the top 16 in the world. So, all the teams at World Relays they already qualified, but you have to have a time that’s in the top 16 in the world if you want to actually get to the World Championships later on this year.”

He added, “It’s going to be very tough. And the reason that I say that is not because of the time. We know that they have the talent to be able to qualify, but the personnel that they’ll have to get together.” The World Athletics Championships will be held in Tokyo from 13 to 21 September 2025. It’s going to be hard because they have to get the team in order. The Olympic silver medalist cannot be on the circuit every day; he is injury-prone. However, given his 2025 season so far, it’s not exactly concerning for Jamaica.

Kishane Thompson’s 2025 season so far

Kishane Thompson kicked off his 2025 season with a powerful statement in the 60m at the Central Hurdles, Relays & Field Events Meet in Kingston on January 18. He blazed through the finish line in 6.48 seconds, setting a new personal best and clocking the fifth-fastest time in Jamaican history over the distance. Just a week later, he took his speed to the indoor circuit in Kazakhstan at the Astana Indoor Meet on January 25. Running again in the 60m, Thompson secured 1st place with a time of 6.56 seconds, a slightly slower mark but still enough to win.

Paris 2024 Olympics – Athletics – Men’s 100m Round 1 – Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France – August 03, 2024. Kishane Thompson of Jamaica celebrates after finishing first place in heat 1 REUTERS/Alina Smutko

Transitioning outdoors, Thompson returned to the track for his first 100m of the year at the Shanghai/Keqiao Diamond League on May 3, 2025. This marked his debut on the international Diamond League stage. Lining up against a strong field, Thompson ran a solid 9.99 seconds to finish 2nd, narrowly edged out by South Africa’s Akani Simbine, who won in 9.98 seconds. The race was a tight contest, with Japan’s Abdul Hakim Sani Brown finishing 3rd in 10.02 seconds.

Thompson is now set to line up at the Doha Diamond League on May 17, where he’ll take on another world-class field in the 100m. With his early-season times placing him among the top sprinters globally, Doha will be a key test, especially since he lost in the previous one. What do you think? Will Thompson win the Doha Diamond League?

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