In Paris last summer, the men’s 100 meters ended in a finish so precise it required thousandths of a second to separate the champion from the runner-up. Noah Lyles of the United States stopped the clock at 9.784, while Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson trailed by just five-thousandths at 9.789. That razor-thin margin created a rivalry that captured imaginations, and it carried into Tokyo for the 2025 World Athletics Championships, where both men again stood on the line in pursuit of sprinting’s most coveted title. Yet what began as competition has developed into something more unexpected. A bond forged over a shared passion that extends far beyond the track.

The 100-meter final in Tokyo on September 14 did not conclude with either Lyles or Thompson at the top. Instead, their compatriot Oblique Seville produced the performance of his life, surging to victory in 9.77 seconds to become the first Jamaican world champion at the distance since Usain Bolt in 2015. Thompson secured silver in 9.82, and Lyles, still managing a season-best after injuries, crossed for bronze in 9.89. While the result surprised the stadium, the post-race press conference revealed another storyline, one that showed the rivals discovering common ground through their devotion to anime.

From the outset, the exchange carried a lighthearted tone. “Yeah, my accent,” Thompson remarked when the discussion turned toward influences and style. Lyles followed quickly, recalling, “Oh yeah, the Goku Bounce before he fought Broly.” Thompson added, “Yeah, and the hand sign was a gesture from Alucard.” The dialogue revealed how deeply both athletes drew from characters and scenes in Japanese animation, often linking gestures and mannerisms to moments of competition. When Thompson spoke of “when he released his ultimate power,” it underlined how the imagery of transformation resonated with his own sprinting experience.

Noah Lyles expanded on that theme with characteristic enthusiasm. “Before we continue, I think you guys might have already noticed, but Kishane is a pretty big anime fan as well.. This man was wearing an Ultra Instinct Goku shirt the whole warm-up and everything. I was like, yeah, I need to get me one of those. Perseverance, trying through difficult times, grief, getting over grief, love, inspiration. It’s all in there.” 

Expressing his love for anime, Nojo further added, “I feel that people will hear the word anime and be like, oh, that’s just a fad. No, it’s a medium. It’s just a way to tell stories. By watching these stories that are bigger than life, sometimes you look at it and you’re like, wow, I never saw it in that way.” The crowd of reporters listened as the two sprinters, waiting to compete for a world championship final, spoke less about medals and more about narratives that had guided them through challenges.

Their reflections added unexpected texture to the evening. Thompson, who spoke of the Tokyo season as one of discovery and resilience, noted how racing more frequently than ever before gave him “all that battle experience.” Lyles, meanwhile, stressed that despite injury setbacks, producing a season’s best at the championship counted as progress. For athletes who had once been separated by a mere five-thousandths of a second in Paris, it is this cultural link that now connects them, even as the medals shift from one championship to the next. However, amid everything, Lyles and Kishane made sure to keep their rivalry alive before the World Championships with pointed words about each other.

Noah Lyles and Kishane Thompson kept rivalry intact prior to World 100m final

In the weeks leading up to the World Championships, Noah Lyles and Kishane Thompson ensured their rivalry did not lose its edge. Their exchanges were not confined to the track but extended into interviews, where each made deliberate remarks that heightened anticipation for their next encounter. When Lyles, still working his way back from a spring ankle injury, was asked about Thompson, he offered both respect and assertion, “He’s a great competitor. He’s a very fast man. I still feel like he’s in my pocket. Next time we race, I’ll have something even better.”

Thompson did not let the comment slide. Only minutes later, with a restrained smile, he countered, “My pocket’s going to be so far ahead (next time), so let’s see.” His words were delivered lightly, but they carried the unmistakable confidence of an athlete who had recently posted the fastest 100m time in a decade. The measured back-and-forth provided a reminder that neither man intended to retreat into silence before their next meeting. Each comment seemed designed to sharpen the other, adding another thread to a contest already defined by fractions of a second.

Lyles, accustomed to closing hard in the final meters, had spoken of acceleration as “probably going to be the biggest difference between medaling and getting gold.” Thompson, reflecting on the presence of both Lyles and Kenny Bednarek, remarked, “Naturally, they’re going to add to the flame and the competition. That adds so much volume to the feel and the potential of doing out there.” And following this, they ensured that fans were on the edge of their seats with their performance.