KINGSTON: Jamaica’s Oblique Seville ran the fastest 100 meters in the world this year, 9.82 seconds, to defeat reigning world champion Noah Lyles on Saturday at the Racer Grand Prix meet.

The 23-year-old shocked himself with the effort, aided by a tailwind of 0.9 m/sec, to break his prior personal best of 9.86 and dominate American star Lyles, who crossed the line next in 9.85, just off his best of 9.83.

Jamaican Seville is coached by Glen Mills, former mentor of legend Usain Bolt, for whom Jamaica has been looking for an heir since his 2017 retirement.

Seville collected places of honor during the last major championships: fourth in the 4x100m relay at the Tokyo Olym­pics and in the 100m at the Worlds in 2022 and 2023.

His clear race allowed him to tame Lyles, to whom he gave a defiant look at the line. The two sprinters ran significantly faster than the best prior 2024 time, 9.93 by Americans Christian Miller and Kendal Williams.

Lyles won titles in the 100, 200 and 4x100 relay in last year’s Worlds at Budapest and is considered a major favourite for the Paris Olympics.

Saint Lucia athlete Julien Alfred, 22, also achieved a 2024 world-best performance in the women’s 100m in 10.78 with a 1.3m/s wind.

Jamaican Jaydon Hibbert, the junior world record holder, soared 17.75m to win the triple jump (-0.7m/s wind) to establish the best world mark this year.

World 60m hurdles indoor champion Devynne Charlton of the Baha­mas won the 100 hurdles in 12.64 (1m/s wind) and American Trey Cunningham took the 110m hurdles in 13.12 (0.8m/s).

Published in Dawn, June 3rd, 2024