The reigning world champion has responded to Noah Lyles' remarks about his composure in Tokyo, revealing his own perspective on what really happened before the race.
Oblique Seville has addressed the comments Noah Lyles made about him at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan.
After the heats of the men’s 100m, Noah Lyles pointed out that he had seen Oblique Seville panicking before the race, hence his third-place finish.
Oblique Seville had a slow start from the blocks and had to do a lot of work to finish third and secure a spot in the semifinal.
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“Yeah, I knew that was gonna happen. That man was panicking in the back. But hey, he's a gamer, so hopefully he'll get it back and we'll have a great final,” Noah Lyles said.
Oblique Seville Responds to Comments Made by Noah Lyles
The reigning world champion responded to Noah Lyles’ remarks by acknowledging him with appreciation, saying he respected and admired what the four-time world 200m champion was doing.
He explained that although he understood Noah Lyles’ perspective, his actions before the race had been misinterpreted.
Oblique Seville clarified that he had been trying to focus and get himself ready behind the scenes, not panicking as suggested.
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The Jamaican sprint star added that he only learned about Noah Lyles’ comments later when people messaged him, since he had not checked his phone immediately after the race.
“Ah, honestly, I have to shout out to Noah to be honest. I have to. Yeah, I love that man, and I love what he's doing. I see what he was doing, but it wasn't really working for me. But when I was around the back, I was like trying to get the stars and everything,” Oblique Seville said in an interview with CBC Sports.
“I guess he may see that I have a little problem with the blocks or something like that. So, I think he may have judged it wrong, but when I went home, I got messages because I didn't check my phone or anything, and somebody said, ‘Don't listen to what Noah said.’ I was like, ‘What did he say?’”
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Oblique Seville added that after seeing Noah Lyles’ comments, he had hoped to be placed in the same semifinal as him, even praying for that matchup.
He explained that he wanted the chance to prove himself on the track, though his coach reassured him he would be fine regardless.
Oblique Seville pointed out that he enjoyed the competitive rivalry between them and respected Noah Lyles’ personality, acknowledging that the reigning Olympic champion would always stay true to who he is.
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“I was like, okay, when I saw what he said, I said Jesus Christ, damn, please put him in my semi-finals, I want him to be in my semi-finals,” Oblique Seville revealed.
“I really wanted him to be in my semi-finals. My coach said, ‘No, you're going to be okay in these semi-finals.’ I said, ‘Damn, I was praying to get his semi-final.’
“I was just going to I was just going to show him something. I like the rivalry, you know, that I like it. So, what he's doing, I don't stop him because Noah is going to be Noah, and everyone knows that.”
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Oblique Seville explained that at the moment, he reminded himself to remain professional and not get carried away by the desire to face Noah Lyles in the semifinals.
He decided to stay composed and focus on taking each round step by step. Regaining his rhythm, he approached the semifinal with a clear plan, aiming for a strong start and controlling the race comfortably.
After executing his strategy successfully, Seville celebrated by gesturing for silence, a message meant to quiet his critics and show that he was back in form.
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“So, I get back into the groove of my performance. I said, ‘Okay, I'm going to take it in stages.’ When I got into the semi-finals now, I said, ‘Okay, if I get this good start, I know that I can run like about 60% of the race and just take it from there easily,’” he shared.
“So, I did that in the semi-finals, and I put my finger on my lips and said Shh, I am back, which shows that to shut up the doubters.”
Oblique Seville went on to claim top honours in the men’s 100m final, clocking a personal best time of 9.77 seconds. Kishane Thompson and Noah Lyles finished second and third in respective times of 9.82 and 9.89 seconds.