Oblique Seville Finally Reveals Strategy That Made Him Stun Kishane Thompson, Noah Lyles in Tokyo Despite Toe Injury

Oblique Seville has opened up on the strategy that enabled him to stun his rivals Noah Lyles and Kishane Thompson to win  the 100 meter final at the Tokyo World Championships in 2025.

Seville, who had failed to medal in four previous major championship finals in the event, was finally able to live up to his billing and potential while clocking a personal best time of 9.77 seconds despite carrying an injury.

Speaking on Coach’s Desk TV, the 24-year old, who had long been touted as the heir to Usain Bolt’s sprinting legacy for Jamaica until Kishane Thompson’s emergence , revealed that his start was far from perfect. 

“I didn’t get the bullet start I wanted,” he admitted. “When I heard the gun, I told myself, ‘Just pace yourself through the race and see where it takes you.’ I was being conservative, just in case my foot slipped or anything happened. 

“But once I came out of the drive phase, I realized, ‘No man, nothing’s wrong — mi can push now!’ That’s when I made my move.”

It was a risky approach, but one born out of experience. His coach, Glen Mills — who famously guided Bolt and Yohan Blake to world glory — had advised caution given his recurring toe injury problem. 

“My coach told me not to run,” Seville confessed. “But I knew how my body felt. Sometimes, as an athlete, you just know when you have something special inside you. So I went for it, and history was created that day.”

Despite battling injury setbacks throughout his career, Seville’s Tokyo performance proved that consistency and resilience can conquer even the world’s best. 

“Every championship I have a specific way I prepare, depending on my health,” he explained. “In the past, injuries stopped me from running enough Diamond League races.

“ I’d go into major championships facing guys like Lyles and Thompson who’d been racing all season, while I was still trying to find rhythm.”

A Change in Strength and Conditioning Strategy Helped

Determined to change that narrative, Seville and his team revamped everything before the season — from his strength training to his recovery plan.

 “This year we made drastic changes to my conditioning and focused on staying healthy,” he said. “As long as I’m healthy, I know the danger I can bring to the track.”

That newfound discipline and patience paid off in Tokyo, where he executed a near-perfect race plan — starting conservatively before powering through in the final 40 meters to snatch victory. 

The win not only silenced his critics but also reignited Jamaica’s hopes of reclaiming sprint dominance after the Bolt era.

For Seville, though, it was more than a win; it was redemption. “I’ve been through a lot with injuries,” he said. “But this one — this one showed me that when you stay patient, trust your training, and listen to your body, great things can happen.”

With Tokyo 2025 now done and the 2026 World Ultimate Championships on the horizon, Seville is determined to keep the momentum going.