Oblique Seville made a spectacular career highlight in Tokyo on Sunday, racing to Jamaica’s first men’s 100m world title in ten years with an eye-catching personal best of 9.77 seconds.
The 23-year-old overshadowed fellow countryman Kishane Thompson, who with 9.82 was runner-up, while the American Noah Lyles, the defending champion, could only watch in 9.89.
The victory was the first for Jamaica in the global sprint since the double performed by Usain Bolt at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing.
The sprint icon, observing from the stands, had very confidently forecasted a Jamaican 1-2, supporting both Seville and Thompson before Olympic champion Lyles – and his prophecy came to be correct.
The suspense was just as great before the race as Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, a very likely medalist, was excluded for a false start, which left the audience speechless.
When the race was rerun, Thompson was the first off the line, but Seville’s calm and late sprint got him past the finish line for gold, provoking wild celebrations among Jamaican fans.
As Bolt was at the forefront of the loudest cheers and “Buffalo Soldier” was being played, Seville, marking his personal victory and perhaps Jamaican sprinting next dynasty, celebrated by ripping through his sprint suit.
