Seville rewarded for ‘resilience’

Freshly minted World champion Oblique Seville is sounding an ominous warning that there is more speed in his legs.

Seville clocked a personal best 9.77 seconds to win the 100 metres in the just concluded World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan. He finished ahead of compatriot and Paris Olympics silver medallist Kishane Thompson, who clocked 9.82 seconds, and the gold medallist from Paris, Noah Lyles of the United States, in 9.89.

Seville's time holds historical significance as Jamaican Asafa Powell had clocked that time in June 2005 to set a then world record.

SURGERY

With the Commonwealth Games being the main global event next season, Glen Mills, who is head coach at Racers Track Club, where Seville is conditioned, revealed on TVJ's Road to Tokyo panel during the championship that surgery would be conducted on Seville's long-standing toe issue during this off-season. The 2026 Commonwealth Games will be held in Glasgow, Scotland, from July 23 to August 2.

Mills noted that Seville came to Racers from Calabar High nursing that injury, which coupled with other injuries, have dogged his career.

Speaking with STAR Sports at the Norman Manley International Airport on Wednesday evening on his return to the island, Seville declared that once he remains free of injury he will go faster.

"Physically yes. Physically yes. I never had any mental issue, just to make that clear, but it's just that I was always injured over and over and it's just unfortunate for me and it caught me at the wrong time," he shared. "But if I am injury free straight through (the season) I am not gonna come off the medal podium for sure."

The former Boys' Championships' Class One champion has faced mounting doubt from some Jamaican track and field fans, who have questioned his mental fortitude after he failed to deliver on his favourites tag going into global events.

SHAKE OFF DOUBT

Now maybe his story will help another athlete shake off doubt.

"Well it's not quite that simple, but for me, when I started track and field on the professional stage it was not easy. I have shown over the years that I am the prospect of a medal contender and I have been knocking, knocking on the door. But I never gave up and I think this can inspire a lot of athletes because of what I have done at the World Championships," he said.

"So my story is wide open. So everyone who follows Oblique knows my story. So I think that this will motivate them when they look back at my journey."

Those doubters were in chorus when Seville caused a scare during the heats of the 100 metres, after he was the last to react from the blocks and had to run hard in the final few metres to advance to the next round.

That triggered memories of Seville finishing off the podium in the 100 metres in last year's Olympic Games after going into the final as one of the favourites.

But Mills revealed in that TVJ Return to Tokyo interview that Seville's slow reaction to the gun was a deliberate strategy to take pressure off the bothersome toe.

He did concede, however, that the 24-year-old should have moved out of the blocks without the usual explosion to still protect the injury.

RESILIENCE

All that is now in Seville's rear view mirror as he talks the talk of champions.

"It changed my life a lot because to think about it, if you look at it, to come from eighth at the Olympic Games (last year) to actually win a gold medal at the World Championships that shows a lot of resilience. And not just because people (are) saying that I have mental problems and all those stuff, but what I have done now has proven that my mental health and everything is quite fine. It's just that I was always unfortunately injured over the years, so this is the time where I showed my class and my dominance in the professional stage of my career."

Seville, who was Jamaica's only gold medallist at the World Championships, is also basking in the knowledge that he is the first Jamaican man to lift the 100-metre title since Usain Bolt in 2015.

"It's a great feeling knowing that we broke that curse and to start the new era of Jamaican sprinting. Yes, it does make me feel special because I am the only gold medallist. And I actually did my best and there was a lot going on throughout the championship, but I (was) still steadfast and held my focus and came out victorious."

karen.madden@gleanerjm.com