Oblique Seville won Jamaica’s first world 100m title in 10 years after outpacing Kishane Thompson and Noah Lyles for gold in Tokyo on Sunday.
Seville timed a personal best of 9.77 seconds for the victory, with Thompson taking silver in 9.82 seconds while defending champion Lyles claimed bronze with a time of 9.89 seconds.
It was the Caribbean island’s first world sprint title since Usain Bolt, watching from the stands, won the 100m and 200m double at the 2015 world championships in Beijing.
Bolt, an 11-time world champion, had bet on a Jamaican 1-2 in this 100m, outspokenly backing both Thompson and Seville to beat Olympic champion Lyles.
And it proved to be an astute reading of form and technique.
Bolt erupted in cheers when the Jamaican duo raced through the line.
Bob Marley’s “Buffalo Soldier” soon followed over the tannoy as the sizeable Jamaican fan contingent cheered in delight, Seville responding by ripping the top of his one-piece sprint suit down.
AFP
