Quietly confident Oblique back in the island

Basking in the feeling of being the first Jamaican man to reach the top of a World Athletics Championship podium, since Usain Bolt did in 2015, 100 metre Champion Oblique Seville returned to the island on Wednesday evening.

Exuding quiet confidence the Glen Mills-conditioned athlete told The Gleaner at the Norman Manley Airport that he was elated.

"It's a great feeling knowing that we broke that curse and to start the new era of Jamaican sprinting."

In the immediate aftermath of copping the gold medal at the Tokyo Championships Seville had urged that more respect be affixed to his name.

Days later he was more philosophical.

"Well the respect was always there, it's just for me to always go out there and put out my best performance there. The respect is always going to be there, but I am always going to be hungry each time I go out there to perform."

Seville topped a Jamaican quinella at the championships with Kishane Thompson ending second and he spoke about what it means to be bringing back Jamaica's only gold medal in Tokyo.

"Yes, it does make me feel special because I am the only gold medallist and I actually go out there and I literally did my best and there was a lot going on throughout the championships but I [was] still steadfast and held my focus and came out victorious."

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