In an electrifying conclusion to the Racers Grand Prix, Oblique Seville clinched victory in the 100m with a world-leading time of 9.82 seconds (0.9m/s) during the World Athletics Continental Tour Silver event held in Kingston on Saturday (1). Seville’s triumph was particularly notable as he made a strong comeback after missing last year’s event due to injury. The 23-year-old sprinter outpaced a highly competitive field that included four finalists from the previous year’s World Championships, such as world champion Noah Lyles, Great Britain’s bronze medallist Zharnel Hughes, and African record-holder Ferdinand Omanyala.
“My coach and I have focused on execution all month, and tonight, our hard work paid off,” Seville remarked. “After being sidelined by injuries last year, it’s incredible to achieve a personal best and win in front of my Jamaican supporters.”
Noah Lyles, initially favored to win based on his current form, finished in second place. Seville surpassed Lyles, who posted a time of 9.85 seconds, matching his second-fastest time ever. Omanyala secured third place with a time of 10.02 seconds. This race marked Lyles’s first legal sub-10 second performance and his first 100m defeat of the season. “I’m satisfied with my run but disappointed with the start. Many of us were not set when the gun fired,” Lyles noted. “Overall, it was a great race, and I achieved what I aimed for, running faster than 9.88.”
In the women’s 100m, world indoor 60m champion Julian Alfred delivered a remarkable performance, clocking a lifetime best of 10.78 seconds (1.3m/s), which equaled the meeting record and broke her national record. “I felt good about my execution,” Alfred said. “I stayed relaxed and didn’t panic, which was better compared to last week in Eugene.”
Krystal Sloley continued her impressive streak, following up her second-place finish at the Jamaica Invitational with another personal best. Coached by Stephen Francis, Sloley recorded a time of 10.99 seconds, making her the second Jamaican woman to break the 11-second barrier this season.
In the triple jump, world U20 record-holder Jaydon Hibbert excelled with a world-leading leap of 17.75m in the fourth round, reverting to his 14-step approach. This jump exceeded his ratified world U20 record of 17.54m and was his second-best performance, behind his 17.87m personal best from last year, which is still awaiting ratification as a world U20 record.
