Rivalries in the track world are heating up as the Paris Olympics draws near. Every single athlete is giving it their all, and a lot of countries have already decided who will compete in the highly anticipated event.
Interestingly, while Noah Lyles has made some daring claims about the 200-meter race, he might even want to check out the 100-meter event. The track and field world has long been captivated by the legendary rivalry between Jamaica and the United States. Likewise, this year, two promising young Jamaicans, Oblique Seville, and Kishane Thompson, have proven themselves worthy of a shot at the six-time world champion.
Seville Ruining Lyles’ Perfect 100M Streak
With Lyles’s 200-meter season debut just around the corner, fans were eagerly awaiting the Racers Grand Prix in Jamaica. In fact, the American athlete’s desire to extend his winning streak in the 100-meter event had him eager for the race. However, despite his fantastic 9.85, he lost to Oblique Seville’s 9.83 by just 0.02 seconds.
The 23-year-old Jamaican’s victory against the formidable Noah Lyles has made headlines throughout the world. This has also brought up speculation that Team Jamaica had a viable possibility of reclaiming the crown after Usain Bolt’s retirement from track and field in 2017.
In fact, Seville sparked this hope, but another young athlete’s outstanding performance just served to fuel it.
Thompson’s Simple Jog to Secure the World Lead
Most athletes were under a lot of strain during the US Olympic Trials because of stellar performances by top talents like Noah Lyles, Kenny Bednarek, and Fred Kerley, who all advanced to Paris. And they did it all while Christian Coleman, who had hoped to secure a spot in the final Olympic 100-meter race was forced to settle for fourth place with all his dreams dashed.
The Jamaican Olympic Trials were underway at the same time as the Americans’ event, and an unknown athlete in the sport swept through the 100-meter sprint qualifying stages. While Thompson may not have been a household name this season, his 9.82 in the heats was higher than Lyles’ previous best.
He shocked everyone by jogging to ensure that Oblique Seville remained in second place, clocking a world lead of 9.77, even though the audience was expecting the finals to be around the same time. This specific run brought the hope that the entire National Stadium crowd needed for the Olympics, and they were all in shock.
Many consider Thompson to be the next Bolt, as he has the potential to run confidently at the Olympics and finally break the coveted 100-meter world record of 9.58 seconds.
