Seville sets world-leading time to beat Lyles in the 100m at Kingston meet

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 0.9m/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."I feel good,” Seville said. "I’m a little surprised. It’s special to be able to run so fast without too much specific work. It shows that I can still do better.”The Jamaican 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 honour 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.The 60m indoor world champion showed her ability to contend for gold in France.Jamaican 19-year-old 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).Trinidad and Tobago’s Jereem Richards won an entertaining men’s 200m, powering past NCAA champion Udodi Onwuzurike in the home straight. Richards clocked a season’s best 20.13 with the Nigerian trailing in his wake with 20.27."I haven’t settled on an event yet,” said Richards, the 2022 world indoor 400m champion. "I am going to run both the 200m and 400m throughout the season and see whichever event is the best one closer to the Olympics.”Lanae-Tava Thomas won the women’s 200m in a lifetime best of 22.36, while Stacey-Ann Williams delighted the home crowd with her come-from-behind victory in the women’s 400m in 50.86.Nigeria’s Emmanuel Bamidele clinched victory in the final few metres of the men’s 400m, catching hurdles specialist Roshawn Clarke just before the line to win in 45.49 to the Jamaican’s 45.57.