Kishane Thompson on Olympic men's 100m silver by a sliver: "I didn't trust myself enough"
Kishane Thompson could feel himself tightening up as the men's athletics 100m final drew to a close at Stade de France on Sunday, 4 August.
"I didn't trust myself enough and my speed to bring me through the line," the Jamaican sprinter told reporters about his silver-medal effort, clipped by Noah Lyles by a mere 0.005 seconds for gold.
"I am disappointed … but I am also glad, I am grateful," the 23-year-old Thompson said.
The new Olympic silver medallist said he refuses to carry regret after what was one of the fastest Olympic 100m finals ever, ran in front of an electric Stade de France crowd as one of the marquee events of Paris 2024.
"I wouldn't do anything over," he said. "I don't look at it as 'doing it over.' I made a mistake. I have to take it and move on. There's no going back."
Thompson arrived at the men's final as the world leader this season in the event, with his 9.77 time at Jamaican Nationals in late June, but had limited international experience due to a variety of injuries in recent years.
He only made his Diamond League debut last July, and has never ran in a world championships.
Yet the new Olympic silver medallist said he's taking his runner-up performance on the Olympic stage as a learning experience: "I made it here. And to give off one of my best performances, if not my best, I'm really grateful for it," he said.
"I made a mistake. I know my mistakes now. I'm just going to keep on working and doing the best that I can."