In Summary
- Oblique Seville ran the fastest 100 metres in the world in 2024,
- Lyles finished the race 0.02 seconds off his personal best, in 9.85.
- The 23-year-old shocked himself with the effort to break his prior personal best of 9.86sec
Jamaica’s Oblique Seville surprised Noah Lyles at the home Racers Grand Prix as he beat the 100m world champion with a personal best and a world lead within weeks of the Olympic Games Paris 2024
The 23-year-old crossed the finish line of the men’s 100m race in a time of 9.82 seconds on Saturday (1 June) in Kingston, Jamaica to improve on his previous personal best of 9.86.
Coached by Glen Mills who previously mentored eight-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt Seville has finished just off the podium in the 100m at the world championships in 2022 and 2023, but seems to be hitting his stride ahead of Paris 2024.
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Lyles finished the race 0.02 seconds off his personal best, in 9.85. It was the first 100m appearance of the year for the USA sprinter who is also the reigning world champion in the men’s 200m and 4x100m relay.
Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala finished third in 10.02 seconds.
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Seville Tames Lyles
On June 1, he managed to tame Lyles, to whom he gave a defiant look at the line.
“I feel good,” Seville said. “I’m a little surprised.
It’s special to be able to run so fast without too much specific work. It shows that I can still do better.”
Seville showed some promise during the last major championships – fourth in the 4x100m relay at the Tokyo Olympics and in the 100m at the world championships in 2022 and 2023, as well as third in the 4x100m a year back.
Lyles won titles in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay in the 2023 world championships in Budapest and is considered a firm favourite for the Paris Olympics.
The 26-year-old said after the race in Kingston: “I was satisfied with the performance. I was disappointed in the gunmen.
“Half of us weren’t even set before the gun went off… that’s very disappointing to see.”
