September 14, (THEWILL) — Oblique Seville claimed world 100 metres gold on Sunday with a personal best time of 9.77 seconds, delivering Jamaica a commanding one-two finish at the championships.
The sprinter led home Olympic silver medallist Kishane Thompson, who crossed the line second in 9.82 seconds.
Defending champion Noah Lyles could only manage bronze with a time of 9.89 seconds, marking the first occasion since 2015 that the United States has failed to capture the world 100m title.
The American’s third-place finish ended his reign over the blue riband event.
Seville had appeared the strongest contender throughout the preliminary rounds, despite his disappointing last-place finish in the Olympic final the previous year.
The Jamaican maintained his excellent form from the semi-final into the decisive race.
Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, the Olympic 200m champion and world 100m silver medallist from two years prior, saw his hopes crushed by a false start that resulted in immediate disqualification from the final.
His exit removed one of the key threats to Jamaican dominance.
The victory unfolded before watching legend Usain Bolt, the most recent Jamaican to hold the world 100m crown.
Seville’s triumph restored Jamaica to the summit of men’s sprinting on the global stage.
