Seville outshines Olympic champion Lyles in Diamond League 100m

New Straits Times

4 days ago

LONDON: Jamaica's Oblique Seville outshone Olympic champion Noah Lyles, who paid the price for a slow start in his season-opening 100m at the Diamond League in London on Saturday.
Lyles, in lane five outside Seville and inside Botswana's Letsile Tebogo, spent the entire race attempting to chase down the Jamaican.
Seville, twice a fourth-placed finisher in the blue riband event at the last two world championships, held his nerve to cross the line at the London Stadium in 9.86 seconds, with Lyles fighting back to finish second in 10.00sec.
Britain's Anguilla-born Zharnel Hughes rounded out the podium in 10.02sec.
Lyles was buoyant afterwards, saying: "I feel great after that, I feel extremely healthy and I am feeling no pain.
"I wanted the win but I think it was my fastest ever season opener, so I will take that result today."
He added: "You are going to see Oblique out there and just be like, 'OK, do not let it get to your head, just go and try and chase them, just reel them in little by little', just like any race.
"And then of course there is the moment when you cross the line and you are like, I did not get it this time. But the most important thing was not to panic, to make sure that I hit all the positions regardless."
The build-up to Lyles' first 100m of the season, after he beat Tebogo in the 200m in Monaco last week, was all about the American coming back from an ankle tendon injury and finetuning his form ahead of the world championships in Tokyo in September.
The 28-year-old, ever the showman, insisted Friday that his goal for the season was to win three gold medals in the Japanese capital, to repeat the triple golden medal haul he enjoyed at the 2023 world championships in Budapest.
Arms raised, eyes shut, Lyles applauded the 60,000-capacity crowd and span around on his spikes to acknowledge the rapturous welcome, which was also afforded to Tebogo.
As the sprinters settled in their blocks, the sun shone through on West Ham's stadium, a wholesale change from earlier thunder storms.
But Seville made the difference from the starter's gun and was never in danger of not winning.
"I am proud of how I ran amongst a stacked field, and to win," said the 24-year-old. "I was the only one to run under 10 seconds today, it is something special and phenomenal heading into a major championship later this year.
"Everything I have been practising in training, I delivered out there today. Coming out here and performing against these athletes makes me want to push a little harder.
"London is the place I wanted to run, so to get the Diamond League win here is very special to me."
Seville's Jamaican teammate Kishane Thompson, the fastest man over 100m this year with a time of 9.75sec, was also present in London, but only as part of a strong Jamaican 4x100m relay team seeking to bag a qualifying time for the Tokyo world championships.
Thompson anchored the Jamaican quartet to victory in 37.80sec to ensure a berth in the Japanese capital.
"We are very grateful to get the job done," Thompson said.