Noah Lyles Backs Kayinsola Ajayi's Stare-Down of Oblique Seville in London: 'A Good Call'

Olympic 100m champion Noah Lyles has weighed in on the stare-down Kayinsola Ajayi gave Oblique Seville after storming to victory in the men's 100m at the London Diamond League.

Competing against a world-class field, the Nigerian sprinter produced the performance of his career, clocking 9.84 seconds to equal the Nigerian national record and secure a memorable win.

Oblique Seville, the reigning world champion, settled for second in 9.87 seconds, while Romell Glave rounded out the podium with a personal best of 9.97 seconds.

As he crossed the finish line, Kayinsola Ajayi delivered a prolonged stare towards Seville, a show of confidence that has become increasingly common in elite men's sprinting.

Similar celebrations have previously been seen from some of the sport's biggest names, including Noah Lyles, Oblique Seville and Trayvon Bromell, as athletes use the gesture to make a statement after high-profile victories.

Reacting to Ajayi's post-race celebration, Noah Lyles defended the Nigerian sprinter's actions, suggesting that such moments have become part of the theatre and competitive nature of elite sprinting.

The Olympic champion explained that celebrations and gestures on the track often emerge naturally in the heat of competition rather than being carefully planned.

While some athletes may deliberately use them to make a statement, he said many are simply instinctive reactions to the magnitude of the moment and the significance of the achievement.

Noah Lyles believes Kayinsola Ajayi had every reason to celebrate in the manner he did, pointing out that defeating the reigning world champion was a major milestone in the young sprinter's career.

He noted that overcoming an athlete of Oblique Seville's calibre on such a big stage naturally carries an emotional response, adding that the celebration reflected the confidence and belief required to compete at the highest level.

The American also dismissed suggestions that Oblique Seville would have taken offence, explaining that the Jamaican is familiar with that type of competitive exchange, having engaged in similar celebrations himself.

Noah Lyles added that the same principle applies across the sprinting circuit, mentioning that athletes such as Trayvon Bromell have also embraced the psychological side of the sport through similar gestures.

"I mean, you see how you asked me the question? I mean, you obviously did something. And it was obviously worth talking about. So, I say keep doing it. I'd say two out of three are instinct. One might be methodical. Yeah. You just do what it calls for when it's called for. You know, I'd say that. Ajayi had a reason because he beat the previous world champion,” Noah Lyles said.

“That's a reason to look over, and he knew it was a pastime. And Oblique is definitely someone who's looked at me, so I know he can take it. So, yeah, I'd say that was definitely a good call. I've seen others. If Trayvon looked at me, I'd say that's a good call because I do it to a lot of people. So that was definitely a good call on that as well. I'd say it is. I mean, if you can't take getting looked at, you gotta look yourself in the mirror."

Noah Lyles confirmed that he intends to contest both the 100m and 200m at the US Championships, signalling his readiness to take on the demanding schedule of six races across the heats, semifinals and finals.

He explained that his decision was influenced by his recent competition calendar, noting that after returning from the European circuit at the beginning of July, he would have a lengthy gap before his next scheduled meeting if he skipped the national championships.

Rather than going several weeks without racing, he said he preferred to remain in competitive rhythm as he builds towards the latter part of the season.

Noah Lyles also dismissed any suggestions that he would scale back his programme, stressing that he has fully returned to competing across all his preferred events after an unusual campaign last year.

He made it clear that his focus is once again on challenging himself in both sprint disciplines and embracing the full workload that comes with them.

"To be honest, I came back from Europe right as July started. I'm not going to be able to get another meet in once this is over until mid-August. And I don't want to wait that long for running again. Yes, I do. Yeah, don't worry. This ain't last year. Last year was a weird year. No, I'm back to doing everything I'm in it for. All the way,” Noah Lyles said.

“It's been a while since one of these that hasn't been in Eugene. I'm pretty familiar with Icahn Stadium. Been here many, many years. It's one of my favourite stadiums in the US. We will see as we get closer to the weekend. But usually I've had really good turnouts for crowds and energy. So I expect by the time we get to tomorrow that there's gonna be a real lively energy going on."