TOKYO : Oblique Seville scorched to the world 100 metres gold in a personal best 9.77 seconds on Sunday, leading a Jamaican 1-2 ahead of Olympic silver medallist Kishane Thompson, second again in 9.82.
Defending champion Noah Lyles took bronze in 9.89 as the United States failed to take the title for the first time since 2015 when Usain Bolt won the last of his titles.
The sport’s biggest superstar was in the stands in Tokyo – the first time since he retired in 2017 – to roar home his compatriots, though he had predicted a Thompson victory earlier in the day.
Seville had looked the man to beat through the rounds in last year’s Olympics but finished last in the final. This year he almost had a disaster in the heats, recovering from a dire start, but was back to full sharpness in the semis on a humid Sunday evening.
He got another flier in the final and had clear air around him when he crossed the line.
Thompson, beaten by five thousandths of a second by Lyles in the Olympic final, had to settle for silver again, having come to Tokyo with the fastest time by anyone for 10 years – 9.75.
Seville’s 9.77 takes him into a share of 10th on the all-time list.
Lyles, who had a delayed start to the season through injury, also had a decent start by his standards but, unlike in so many of his big wins, the world and Olympic champion was unable to make up the ground in the final few metres.
His U.S. teammate Kenny Bednarek, who crossed the line smiling after dead-heating in 9.85 with Thompson in the semis, cut a very different figure after the final. He has three global silvers to his name and was desperate to upgrade having arrived in Tokyo ranked second, but had to settle for fourth in 9.92.
Letsile Tebogo, Botswana’s Olympic 200m champion and 100m silver medallist in the world 100m two years ago, false-started and was disqualified in the final.
