Deji’s Doodles: Thompson and Lyles open their season fairly early
We’re again. Guess it didn’t take lengthy earlier than the observe season threw up some headlines. Granted, we’re nonetheless within the indoor season, however with the Prime 2 within the males’s 100m closing on the Olympics, we simply needed to carry out our pen ( nicely, notepad) and scribble our ideas on what it meant to the observe world.
Kishane Thompson doesn’t go away a lot to speak about in his first indoor race of the season.
This felt like a masquerade popping out at evening. Seeing Kishane Thompson run this early within the season was a shocker to many followers because the Olympic 100m Silver medallist ran the 60m indoors for the primary time shortly. There isn’t a lot to unpack from the race itself, however extra from the rationale behind why his coach, Stephen Francis, made the choice for him to journey over 30 hours to Astana in Kazakhstan to compete.
That is the athlete who, regardless of his huge physique mass. And the roar he often lets out at first of a race will more than likely get his opponents to shiver. Nevertheless, he appears to have a physique extra fragile than at most prime sprinters, do nearly all the things attainable to keep away from operating indoors; this felt moderately weird.
🇯🇲Kishane Thompson runs a 6.48 60m right into a -2.1 headwindpic.twitter.com/SF7AZiAI23
— Travis Miller (@travismillerx13) January 18, 2025
Thompson wasn’t flawless, however he was efficient. A sluggish begin within the heats noticed him clock 6.58, but he nonetheless cruised into the ultimate. Beneath the lights, he roared to the group, roared once more on the blocks, then powered by way of the sector to say a well-earned victory.
On the finish of the race, he appears to have held his proper thigh with a slight grimace on his face, one thing we now have develop into accustomed to. As a lot because the followers like to see the easiest of athletes compete each week, the dynamics of how Observe is structured make it nearly unattainable, and main championships are the one avenue for that to occur. After Astana, don’t be shocked that the wait to see Thompson race once more may be prolonged.
Cameron Myers was on prime of the world in New York.
Cameron Myers isn’t simply breaking data—he’s rewriting what’s attainable for teenage middle-distance runners. In his first-ever indoor race, the 18-year-old Australian shattered the world U20 mile report, clocking 3:53.12 on the Dr. Sander Invitational in New York.
He didn’t have it simple. Kenya’s Festus Lagat pushed him to the road, however Myers had one other gear, edging out the win by 0.37. His 1500m cut up of three:37.89 additionally set a brand new Oceanian U20 indoor report, including one other milestone to his stacked résumé.
The numbers inform one story. He’s now eighth all-time indoors in Oceania, trailing solely legends like John Walker, however the greater image is extra exact: Myers isn’t only a quick teenager. He’s going to be a severe participant on the worldwide stage.
It’s simple to hype younger skills who fizzle out earlier than their prime. Myers feels totally different. His 3:33.26 for 1500m, his 3:50.15 mile outside, and now this? That’s not simply potential; it’s proof. At 18, he’s already operating instances that might put veterans on discover.
The game has seen loads of younger phenoms. Few preserve pushing. Myers? He appears like he’s constructed to final.
Noah Lyles runs a modest time in Gainesville.
Noah Lyles is again, and whereas it wasn’t flashy, it was environment friendly. The Olympic 100m champ opened his 2025 season with back-to-back 6.62s on the RADD Invitational in Gainesville—shaking off a sluggish begin, outdueling coaching companion Udodi Onwuzurike, and dealing with enterprise within the closing.
It’s his first race since Paris, the place he gained gold within the 100m and bronze within the 200m, and whereas this wasn’t a press release run, it was a pointy reminder: Lyles is aware of the way to win. Caleb Dean took second in 6.68, Onwuzurike matched his 6.70 from the heats for third, however neither had the ending energy to take him down.
The larger takeaway? Kishane Thompson, the Olympic silver medalist, ran 6.56 in Kazakhstan hours earlier. Lyles will see that point, nod, and know he has work to do. Nevertheless it’s early, and Lyles thrives when the lights get brighter. This was simply the primary web page of his 2025 script.
Some followers couldn’t assist however stir the pot. “Consideration-seeking Noah,” one quipped. “He wasn’t supposed to start out till Feb 2nd, lol. He’s solely doing it as a result of Kishane is getting all the eye.” One other took it additional: “He doesn’t deserve the gold medal.”
However does Noah Lyles care? Not an opportunity. This wasn’t about proving some extent however about getting the gears turning. The 60m was only a tune-up, a pit cease on the way in which to larger issues. Lyles isn’t right here for web debates. He’s right here to win when it issues most.
