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‘Excited’ Thompson looking to have fun at Racers Grand Prix
June 06, 2025
Buzzing with excitement, Kishane Thompson is ready to unleash before his home crowd at Saturday's Racers Grand Prix at the National Stadium.
Thompson, the men's Olympic 100m silver medallist, is one of the main headliners for this year's meet where he is slated to compete in his pet event, the 100 metres.
The Jamaican holds a personal best of 9.77 seconds, which he set last year, and enters as the favourite for his event.
"I'm really excited to compete in Jamaica, even to compete anywhere. I don't really have much local meets so the Racers Grand Prix has been one of my favourite meets," Thompson noted of his time watching the event.
Now that he's a headliner, Thompson noted: "I'm really excited for it, I just want to see the vibe, the energy and just high competition, and just enjoy myself."
Thompson enters the race with a season's best of 9.99 and is set for just his third individual 100m race this season.
He will line up against another Jamaica starlet in Oblique Seville.
Seville had won the 100m at the meet last year, an achievement he will no doubt be looking to repeat. He ran a wind-aided 9.84 (+2.4mps) this season, and had withdrawn from the Philadelphia Grand Slam Track meet last week.
Also in the lineup is up-and-coming South African speedster Bayanda Walaza.
Walaza has been enjoying an impressive season, lowering his personal best in the 100m on more than one occasion, as he dipped below the 10-second barrier for the first time this year.
He enters with a new season and personal best of 9.94, and will be hopeful of causing an upset at the National Stadium.
BATTLE OF THE YOUNGSTERS
In the women's equivalent, it will be a ding-dong clash among young talent as Tia Clayton, Tina Clayton, Alana Reid and the United States' Jacious Sears are all set to meet at the starting line.
The Clayton twins, Tina and Tia, have been in fine form this season, as Tia enters the race with a season best of 10.92, ahead of her sister Tina, who recorded 11.02 as her current season best.
They will face strong competition in the form of national junior record holder Reid, and Sears who holds a personal best of 10.77, which she recorded last year.
Having broken the 11-second barrier in 2024, Sloley has made her senior international debut for Jamaica at the World Athletics Relays, and will be hoping to continue that impressive form in the Racers Grand Prix.
Youthful talent and exuberance will be balanced by women's 100m hurdles world record holder, Tobi Amusan of Nigeria.
'CUBBY' RETURNS
Another key interest will be Christopher Taylor lining up in the men's 200m.
Taylor has been absent from the sport for several years, following his suspension for evading, refusing or failing to submit a sample in 2023.
The former Calabar High standout had made his return two week ago in the 400m at the JAAA World Athletics Championships Preparation meet.
His personal best still stands at 20.35 which he had ran at the 2018 ISSA GraceKennedy Boys and Girls' Athletics Championships.
Challenging Taylor will be Great Britain's Zharnel Hughes, Sinesipho Dambile of South Africa and Jamaicans Bryan Levell and Jevaughn Powell.
Hughes will enter as favourite for the event, coming into the contest with a personal best of 20.13 which he ran at the National Stadium at Kingston's Grand Slam Track in early May.
The men's 110m hurdles is also expected to draw some attention, with in-form American Trey Cunningham taking on hometown star Rasheed Broadbell.
Cunningham has been in the form of his life as the sprint hurdler, who had won at the Racers Grand Prix last year, has a season and personal best of 13.00 in the event. He has only lost once in the event this year.
Broadbell, however, has looked better with each race he has run this season as the Olympic bronze medallist holds a season's best of 13.14.
The two are expected to lead the likes of Tyler Mason of Jamaica, and the US duo of Michael Dickson and Eric Edwards.
The Racers Grand Prix is set to begin at 7:15 p.m. with the triple jump and close with the men's 100m at 9:40 p.m.
