Oblique Seville of Jamaica secured the country’s first gold medal in nine years in the men’s 100m at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo Sunday (14th) . He defeated the American defending World Champion Noah Lyles and the fastest man in the world this season, Kishane Thompson, his countryman, marking a significant return to the top for Jamaica in global sprinting.
Running a (pb) personal best of 9.77secs with a 0.3m/s wind, Seville not only claimed his first global title but also became the first Jamaican man since Usain Bolt to win one.
His Journey to Gold
Seville’s path to victory showcased a remarkable progression throughout the championship rounds:
• Heats: His journey began with a less-than-perfect start in the heats, where he didn’t execute well and finished third with a time of 9.93secs. This initial performance served as a “strong wake-up call” for him to improve his execution in subsequent races.
• Semi-finals: Demonstrating significant improvement, Seville stepped up his game in the semi-finals. He ran a comfortable 9.86secs to win his semi-final, looking the most comfortable among the competitors and winning from lane eight. He became the fifth fastest Jamaican man over the distance, just behind his compatriot Kishane Thompson’s 9.75secs.
• The Final: In the much-anticipated final, Seville displayed immense determination. While Thompson, who ultimately won silver in 9.82secs, got out like a rocket, Seville worked his way through his paces. He showed grit and pushed hard, and once he surpassed Thompson, he maintained his lead, not letting up until he crossed the finish line. His perfected strong finish was a key factor, as he confidently believed that if he could execute it, he would win, knowing others would not catch him.
The 24-yr-old Seville celebrated victory by ripping open his race jersey and beating his chest, describing his feat as a “masterful performance”.
Victory also saw Seville break the 9.80secs barrier for the first time in his career, improving on his pb of 9.81 set in the semi-finals of the Paris Olympic Games. This performance also propelled him up the Jamaican 100m list, moving ahead of Steve Mullings (9.80) and Nesta Carter (9.78). His win marked the first gold medal for Jamaica at the World Championships since Usain Bolt in 2015 and at the Olympic Games since Bolt in 2016.
Triumph Over Competitors and Personal Struggles
Seville’s 2025 season has been characterized by a new level of consistency, including significant wins in overseas competitions such as the London and Lausanne Diamond Leagues. In these high-level events that he was contesting for the first time, he notably defeated fields by a large margin, running 9.8secs while others, including Noah Lyles, ran 10 seconds flat.
Bolt’s Presence
The fastest man of all time, Usain Bolt, was present in the stands, watching the final from a VIP box. Bolt was paraded inside the packed Japan National Stadium earlier in the night and was seen roaring on his successor. Leading up to the Championships, Bolt, who was coached by Seville’s coach Glen Mills, picked Seville to take the title. Seville is the fourth World Championships men’s 100m champion to be conditioned by Mills after Kim Collins of St. Kitts & Nevis in 2003, Bolt on three occasions, and Jamaican Yohan Blake in 2011. Race Results