Oblique Seville, 24, of Jamaica, delivered the performance of his career on the grandest stage, winning the men’s 100m gold at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Sunday, 14 September. After bronze medals in Budapest in 2023 and Eugene in 2022, Seville ran the race of his life, defeating compatriot and world leader Kishane Thompson, along with Olympic champion Noah Lyles, in a gripping final.
Having long shown promise, Seville peaked at precisely the right moment, stunning the field in Tokyo. He became the first Jamaican since Usain Bolt in 2015 to win the men’s 100m at the World Championships. Seville clocked a personal best of 9.77 seconds, while Thompson secured silver with 9.82 seconds.
World Athletics Championships Day 2: Highlights
The occasion was made even more special by the presence of Bolt, who watched from the stands at the National Stadium in Tokyo, roaring his support for the Jamaican 1-2 finish.
Olympic champion Lyles, the favourite going into Tokyo, could not recover from a sluggish start in the final and had to settle for bronze with a time of 9.89 seconds. Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo was disqualified for a false start, adding to the drama of a men’s 100m final that fully lived up to its billing on a hot, humid evening in the Japanese capital.
MELISSA JEFFERSON WINS WOMEN’s 100M GOLD
Meanwhile, in the women’s 100m, Melissa Jefferson produced a sensational run to claim gold, obliterating a field stacked with legendary names. The American stormed to victory in 10.61 seconds, a new Championship record and the fourth-fastest time in the history of women’s 100m racing.
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