Jamaican underdog Oblique Seville snatches 100m gold at world titles
TOKYO: The world has a new fastest man and his name is Oblique Seville.
Kishane Thompson and Noah Lyles met for a rematch a year on from their pulsating 100-metre final at the Paris Olympics, ready to duke it out at the world athletics championships on Sunday night.
But in a breakout performance in front of a heaving Japan National Stadium crowd, among which was Usain Bolt, Seville stunned the two of them to capture his maiden solo gold medal at a global championship.
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Oblique Seville roars to victory. Getty
Seville and Thompson both hail from Jamaica.
In an historic race in Tokyo, they combined for Jamaica's first-ever one-two finish in a men's 100m final at the world championships.
Not since Bolt's triumph in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 had a Jamaican won an Olympic or world championship gold medal in the event, but Seville roared to victory in 9.77 seconds — a lifetime best — to break the drought.
Thompson grabbed silver in 9.82 as Lyles took bronze in 9.89.
In an extraordinary photo finish in Paris last year, Lyles beat Thompson to gold by 0.005 of a second.
When Seville burst over the finish line to win gold on Sunday night, Bolt erupted with jubilation.
The guy who coached Bolt, Jamaican man Glen Mills, is now Seville's coach.
Oblique Seville rips apart his shirt in celebration. Getty
"I feel really amazing and excited that the gold is coming home to Jamaica," Seville said.
"I have proved that I am a true competitor, that I have the determination of a champion."
Prior to the final, Seville's personal best was 9.82, recorded in the Olympic semi-finals in Paris.
He finished fourth at the two most recent world championships, and eighth at the Paris Games.
He recorded the fastest reaction time of Sunday night's final, dropped to second as Thompson powered ahead, then in a breathtaking finish ran over the top of his fellow countryman.
Watch the 2025 World Athletics Championships live and free on Nine and 9Now.
In a dramatic final few moments before the race, Botswana's Letsile Tebogo, the reigning Olympic gold medallist in the 200m, was disqualified for a false start.
"To win this gold medal is something special to me," Seville said.
"Track and field is both mental and physical. But to be honest, I think I have mastered the mental part of it. Other people are doing and talking about other things, but I just focus on me and that is why I managed to get this victory."
Earlier in the night, the tens of thousands inside the stadium hung off every word as Bolt was interviewed trackside.
The greatest sprinter of all time performed his iconic lightning bolt move at the completion of the interview, putting the crowd in raptures.
Usain Bolt performing his iconic lightning bolt move at the world athletics titles. Getty
"It is just a tremendous feeling to compete in front of Usain here in Tokyo," Seville said.
"His coach is my coach and I know that both of them are very proud of me right now. They were like, 'I am going to be the world champion'."
The 24-year-old ripped apart his shirt in celebration.
"Now, more gold medals," he quipped.
Jefferson-Wooden clinches women's 100m gold
Earlier in the night, American Melissa Jefferson-Wooden unleashed the fastest 100m run by a woman in world championship history to win gold in emphatic style.
And as would Seville moments later, she hauled in her maiden individual gold medal at a global championship.
Jefferson-Wooden storm to victory in 10.61 seconds, shaving 0.04 of a second off her personal best.
Jamaican Tina Clayton secured silver in 10.72 as St Lucia's Julien Alfred, the reigning Olympic gold medallist, picked up bronze in 10.84.
"When the gun went off, I just thought, 'Come on, get out strong'," Jefferson-Wooden said.
"The rest of the race went like a blink of an eye.
"When I crossed the line I was like , 'Oh wow, I won'.
"I haven't felt happier. I am excited about the 200m now, but I am really happy about this 100m gold."
Melissa Jefferson-Wooden (far right) snatches gold in the women's 100m. Getty
Aussie rising star bundled out in semis, then dodges media
Torrie Lewis was filthy with herself after being eliminated in the semi-finals of the women's 100m.
After finishing fifth in her heat in 11.14 seconds — a time only 0.06 off her newly minted national record — she had very little to say in an interview with SBS, and didn't do any interview at all with Nine.
The Paris Olympian also managed to whisk through the media zone before the travelling Australian press journalists, this correspondent included, had time to reach the bowels of the Olympic stadium.
The Australian Athletics media team tried to locate her, but to no avail.
SBS interviewer Mitch Dyer asked her five questions.
The most elaborate answer she gave was: "Yeah, it was definitely the start [that didn't work out]. It wasn't the best."
Lewis, 20, was fighting back tears in the interview on SBS.
After clocking 11.08 seconds to lower her national record on Saturday night, she was understandably in high spirits, and proceeded to chat with Nine, SBS and the press journalists.
Lewis still has the 200m and the 4x100m relay to come at these world championships.
