On a historic evening in Tokyo, Jamaica once again rose to the pinnacle of world sprinting. Oblique Seville, a 24-year-old sprinter from St. Thomas, stopped the clock at 9.77 seconds in the men’s 100m final to capture gold at the 2025 World Athletics Championships. His electrifying performance not only secured a personal best but also restored Jamaica’s dominance in the marquee sprint event—ending a nine-year wait since Usain Bolt last held the crown in 2015.
Seville’s victory came in a thrilling race where he edged fellow Jamaican Kishane Thompson, who claimed silver in 9.82, and American Noah Lyles, who settled for bronze in 9.89. The result marked a powerful statement from the island known worldwide as the sprint factory: Jamaica was back on top.
Why This Win Matters
For Jamaica, sprinting is more than sport—it is identity, pride, and proof that greatness can come from small places. Since Bolt’s double triumph in Beijing 2015, no Jamaican man had captured the global 100m crown. In Tokyo 2025, Seville’s win changed that narrative, reminding the world of Jamaica’s unmatched sprinting legacy.
The race itself carried drama. Seville blasted out of the blocks, slipped behind Thompson midway, but showed incredible composure, gradually closing the gap before storming past in the final strides. It was championship racing at its finest—calm under pressure, technically sound, and devastatingly fast.
The Making of a Champion
Early Life and Education
Oblique Seville was born on March 16, 2001. He attended Calabar High School, one of Jamaica’s most respected sprint nurseries, where his natural speed first began to draw attention.
Development at Racers Track Club
Seville trains under the legendary coach Glen Mills at Racers Track Club, the same coach who molded Usain Bolt. Mills’ influence has shaped Seville’s efficient sprint mechanics—tall hips, relaxed upper body, and a powerful drive phase that allows him to maintain form even under pressure.
Junior Success
Seville’s international promise first appeared in 2019, when he captured double gold (100m and 4×100m relay) at the CARIFTA Games. That same year, he secured silver medals at the Pan American U20 Championships in both the 100m and 4×100m relay.
Near Misses and Hard Lessons
The path to world glory wasn’t straightforward. At the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, Seville reached the semifinals. In both the Eugene 2022 and Budapest 2023 World Championships, he finished a heartbreaking fourth in the 100m—close enough to taste the podium but just short of a medal. Those defeats became the fuel for his persistence.
The Breakthrough Seasons
In 2024, Seville announced himself as a true contender, clocking 9.82 seconds at the Racers Grand Prix in Kingston to defeat Noah Lyles. At the Paris 2024 Olympics, he ran a then-personal best of 9.81 in the semifinals but faded to eighth in the final after an untimely injury.
By 2025, however, everything clicked. He beat Lyles twice in high-profile Diamond League meets, running 9.86 in London and 9.87 in Lausanne in difficult conditions. Those victories sharpened his confidence and set the stage for his crowning moment in Tokyo.
Seville’s Words After Victory
After his world title, Seville took to Instagram to share gratitude and humility.
“The fastest man in the World!! Sounds good. The title is back in the best country, Jamaica. This is the sprint factory. You will win and you will lose. Be humble in victory and gracious in defeat. God has been good to me and I give him thanks every day. I felt the many prayers you all prayed and I am grateful. I started in Tokyo and now my first medal is from Tokyo.”
He credited his coach, teammates at Racers, Adidas, his family, and his home community in St. Thomas. He called out his “tribe” in Seville, Jamaica, thanking them for defending, encouraging, and believing in him. His words underscored the village effort behind every Jamaican sprint star.
The Torch Passed
Usain Bolt, watching from the stands, had predicted a Jamaican 1-2 finish. He wasn’t wrong. Seville and Thompson delivered exactly that, proving Jamaica’s sprint tradition remains unbroken.
Now, Oblique Seville holds the mantle of “fastest man in the world.” His victory is not just a personal triumph but a renewal of Jamaica’s identity on the global stage. With Thompson as his fiercest domestic rival, and the support of a nation behind him, Seville’s reign could mark the beginning of another golden era in Jamaican sprinting.
The sprint factory is alive and thriving—and its latest masterpiece is Oblique Seville.