Seville Stuns Lyles in London Diamond League 100m Clash

Jamaica’s Oblique Seville delivered a commanding performance to defeat Olympic and world champion Noah Lyles in the men’s 100m at the London Diamond League on Saturday.

Seville, running from lane four, surged ahead from the blocks and never relinquished control, clocking a sharp 9.86 seconds at the London Stadium. Lyles, who had a sluggish start from lane five, was left playing catch-up throughout and had to settle for second in 10.00 seconds. Britain’s Zharnel Hughes finished just behind in 10.02 seconds to complete the podium.

Despite the defeat, Lyles was upbeat after the race.

“I feel great really healthy and pain-free,” said the American, who was making his 100m season debut. “I wanted the win, of course, but that was probably my fastest ever season opener, so I’ll gladly take that today.”

Reflecting on the race, he added: “You see someone like Oblique go and your instinct is to stay calm, trust your form, and slowly reel them in. I didn’t quite get there this time, but I hit my positions and didn’t panic.”

Saturday’s 100m was Lyles’ first in the event since returning from an ankle tendon injury. The 28-year-old had recently beaten Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo in the 200m in Monaco, but this outing served as an important tune-up ahead of September’s World Championships in Tokyo.

True to his showman persona, Lyles soaked up the crowd’s applause, spinning and gesturing to the 60,000 spectators, who also gave a rousing welcome to Tebogo.

However, once the race got underway under clear skies following earlier thunderstorms it was all about Seville. The 24-year-old, who narrowly missed the podium at the last two world championships, executed his race plan to perfection.

“I’m proud of how I performed today against such a strong field,” said Seville. “To be the only one under 10 seconds makes it even more special, especially with a major championship coming up.”

He added: “Everything I’ve been working on in training came together. Competing here in London and winning on this stage means a lot.”

Meanwhile, Seville’s compatriot Kishane Thompson the world’s fastest man over 100m this year with 9.75 seconds did not compete individually but played a key role in helping Jamaica’s 4x100m relay team secure qualification for Tokyo.

Thompson anchored the team to a 37.80-second win, ensuring their place at the World Championships.

“We’re grateful to have got the job done,” Thompson said. “It wasn’t the cleanest set of exchanges, but we brought the baton home safely.”