It’s incredible witnessing the legendary Usain Bolt come in to applaud his Jamaican contingent at sports events. With the hustle and bustle revolving around the 2025 Tokyo World Championships, the 100-meter race became the talk of the town. For Oblique Seville, he had to prove his naysayers wrong. Was Noah Lyles and the USA ending the dominant spell of the fiery Jamaicans in the past two decades? Not a chance. From the start, Seville went all guns blazing and finished the race with a blistering 9.77 seconds. Nevertheless, the road to redemption could have had a premature ending.

As the heats automatically set up the starting grid for the final race, Seville experienced cramps just before the commencement of the historic race. Appearing in a sit-down chat with Gregory Bryce for the Jamaica Gleaner, Seville emphasized the issues leading to the race. Cramps become a glaring issue for athletes before a race, as they want those leg muscles to flow fully during the contest.

Yet, he never backed down from a challenge. “At the trials, the trials taught me a lot that I am a true fighter and a true warrior,” answered Seville. For the Jamaican, it was all about overcoming the challenges: “What I felt it wasn’t anything mental, it was physical, and any athlete can be a testimony on that, knowing what I felt.”

It’s never easy to rise from setbacks, and Seville’s journey to the top came with various challenges. His father passed away from a suspected heart attack in 2018, and the road to redemption became rocky. Dealing with mental struggles along the way, those cramps didn’t stop him from wearing his spikes. “I know when you feel something before a race, how it can affect your mind and the body. So for me, knowing that I have overcome that barrier and to actually make it to the world championships, it boosts my level of confidence to do great things which I did yesterday,” said Seville.

To put things into perspective, Seville’s narrative doesn’t depend on mental struggles but on physical strength. And, as the next major event becomes the relay challenge at the 2025 Tokyo WC, he could draw inspiration from his peers and set the track on fire.

Seville’s presence becomes pivotal to Jamaican relay success

Jamaica wants its best man to be fit and set fast times. After his 100-meter race triumph, all eyes will be on Seville to move Jamaica from the chasing pack. Seville’s time ranks 10th in the Top 10 times for the 100 meters. Compared to other Jamaicans like Yohan Blake (9.69), Asafa Powell (9.72), and Kishane Thompson (9.75), Seville remains the fifth fastest Jamaican in their rich sprinting history.

Hence, the presence of the Jamaican in the 4×100 meter relay would automatically improve the country’s chances for the relay challenge. The heats start on September 20, and Seville and Co. will look to improve on their 2023 World Championships result. The Jamaicans squad (Ackeem Blake, Oblique Seville, Ryiem Forde, and Rohan Watson) finished third by clocking 37.76, while the USA relay team claimed the gold with 37.38.

Now, this year’s Jamaican relay team hope to change those fortunes this year. The roster includes, Ackeem Blake, Ryiem Forde, Kadrian Goldson, Oblique Seville, Kishane Thomson, and Rohan Watson.