Dangerously fast
Seville always confident in his abilities as long as he remained healthy
Published:Wednesday | September 17, 2025 | 12:21 AMregory Bryce/Staff Reporter
STILL IN his early days as the reigning men’s 100-metre world champion, Jamaican speedster Oblique Seville says he was confident he would be able to take home the title, as long as he remained healthy throughout the rounds.
Seville led a Jamaican one-two finish in the men’s 100m final at the Tokyo World Athletics Championships on Sunday, running a new personal best of 9.77 seconds.
He finished ahead of teammate Kishane Thompson, 9.82, and the US’s Noah Lyles, 9.89.
Speaking with The Gleaner, Seville said he was confident in his abilities to topple the field, as long as he remained free of injuries.
“I don’t think I have settled in as yet because I think I’m just still processing everything, but, a couple days, I know that the reality will hit me,” he said.
“Injuries were probably a big part of my career,” he said.
“Over the years, that was the only thing that was stopping me. This year proved that, if I am a healthy Seville, then I am a dangerous Seville; which is a world champion.”
For Seville, winning his first global title at the Japan National Stadium felt as though it had all come full circle, as he had made his senior championships debut at the venue.
He had competed in the men’s 100m at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021, where he had faltered at the semi-finals.
Now, four years later, he will leave the stadium as the reigning 100m champion.
“I’m really happy, because I started my debut here,” Seville said.
“For me to actually win the gold medal and to start a new chapter going forward, knowing that Japan was my debut, and then Japan is my first time getting a gold medal, I think this is going to be a moment that I will always remember.”
Much of Seville’s confidence comes from the way in which he had secured his spot on the national team.
He recalled the final at the Jamaican trials earlier this year, where, just before the start of the race, he had felt physical discomfort.
Seville said, for most athletes, that would have been the end of their season, as it is very difficult to run at your best while in pain.
Fighting through that pain made him be able to fight for the world title on Sunday.
“The trials had taught me that I am a true fighter and a true warrior because, what I felt, it wasn’t anything mental, it was physical,” he explained.
“Any athlete can be a testimony on that, knowing, when you feel something, how it can affect your mind and your body. So, for me, knowing that I had overcome that barrier and to actually make it to the World Championship, it boosted my level of confidence to do great things, which I did.”
Seville’s next focus will be the men’s 4x100m where he is hoping he can help Jamaica win its first gold medal since 2025.