Jamaica’s Oblique Seville shocked the athletics world by defeating Noah Lyles in London, earning high praise from Olympic legend Justin Gatlin.
Jamaica’s Oblique Seville delivered a stunning upset at the Wanda Diamond League meet on July 20, 2025, at London’s Olympic Stadium.
Facing a stacked 100m field headlined by reigning Olympic champion Noah Lyles, Seville surged out of the blocks and never looked back, blazing to a 9.86-second victory into a slight headwind of -0.6 m/s.
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The Jamaican sensation not only defeated Lyles, who clocked 10.00 seconds, but also outpaced big names like Letsile Tebogo and Akani Simbine.
His explosive start and composed finish dismantled the rhythm of more experienced runners and earned him his first major international win of the season.
But perhaps more remarkable than the race itself was the reaction it drew, especially from one of the sport’s all-time greats.
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Justin Gatlin’s High Praise
Shortly after the race, 2004 Olympic gold medalist and five-time world champion Justin Gatlin gave Seville a jaw-dropping endorsement on his Ready Set Go podcast.
“Oblique Seville is one of the most talented, if not the most talented, 100 metre sprinter ever," said Gatlin
Gatlin, a veteran who has raced against the likes of Usain Bolt and Tyson Gay, didn’t just praise Seville’s win, he dissected his unique build and technique, saying, “At the size of how his stature, compared to the times that he runs, yes, it is very impressive. I love that he can go out there and do that.”
Seville’s performance wasn’t a fluke either. His 9.82 PB from the 2024 Racers Grand Prix and his 9.83 runner-up finish at the Jamaican Championships, despite hamstring trouble, showcase a consistent elite trajectory.
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For Gatlin, the key to turning Seville into a world champion lies in strategic racing.
“Can he navigate through those rounds… and show what he has in the tank, in the finals?” Gatlin posed, adding, “You don’t gotta do all that [in early rounds]… just secure yourself a lane and rest your body.”
With the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo just weeks away, Gatlin sees gold if Seville masters the rounds.
“I don’t see why he would not be on that top of that podium,” he concluded.