'Nothing to worry about' -Stephen Francis provides update on Kishane Thompson's decision to skip World Indoors

News that Jamaican sprinter Kishane Thompson will not compete at the 2025 World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China over an injury sent shockwaves in the Caribbean nation on Wednesday.

Thompson was supposed to be one of the star attractions at the March 21-23 event where he was to renew his rivalry with American Noah Lyles in what would have been his first World Indoor Championships.

However, it has now been confirmed that the Olympics 100m silver medalist suffered a slight injury in training which will need a few days’ rest, effectively ruling him out of the World Indoor Championships.

CAF president Patrice Motsepe has set high expectations for his fellow South African Benni McCarthy who was recently appointed Harambee Stars coach.

“Slight medical issue, usually a training issue. For such an issue he will require a couple of days rest but that means that he will not be in proper shape to compete,” veteran sprint coach Stephen Francis, who handles the sprinter, explained on Thursday.

“So, since he will not be at his best, it makes no sense for him to compete. It is a slight injury that happened in training at his ankle at the shin but there is nothing to be alarmed about.”

It is a blow for Team Jamaica who were hoping that the sprinter would drive them to a rare gold medal at the indoor event that they have traditionally struggled in.

Thompson was a favourite to win a medal at the global event after starting his season with the fifth-fastest 60m meterstime in Jamaican history, running a personal best of 6.48 seconds, at the Central Hurdles, Relays, and field meet before he clocked 6.56 at the World Athletics Indoor tour gold meeting in Astana a week later.

His withdrawal robs fans an opportunity to watch another duel between him and Lyles after their closely-contested 100m final at the Paris 2024 Olympics where the American won by microseconds.