Key points
- Lyles settles for 100m bronze
- Jamaica claims gold and silver
- Staying on top proves toughest test
Tokyo: Three-time world champion Noah Lyles had to settle for bronze in the men’s 100m at the World Athletics Championships on Sunday, as Jamaica’s Oblique Seville stormed to gold with a blistering 9.77-second run. The upset has intensified their growing rivalry and shifted pressure onto Lyles ahead of his bid to defend his 200m crown later this week.
Noah Lyles was expected to shine at the 2025 Esports World Cup in Riyadh — a global spectacle blending gaming, music and celebrity culture with $70 million in prizes. A guest of honour, he was set to appear alongside the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and attend top acts like Metro Boomin. “I woulda came for free,” Lyles said.
But he never boarded the plane.
Lyles had other priorities — particularly Oblique Seville.
The 24-year-old Jamaican sprinter has been chasing Lyles since the 2023 World Championships, where he impressed in the heats but couldn’t catch Lyles in the final. A year later, Seville taunted him after a win at the 2024 Racers Grand Prix in Jamaica. Lyles returned the favour at the Paris Olympics, where Seville finished last and Lyles took gold.
Staying on top
Yet Lyles knew staying on top was even tougher than getting there. “And that’s kind of hard when you’ve been told no so many times,” he admitted. “And now you’ve got to say no to somebody else when you really want to try and get your hands on as many things as possible.”
On Sunday in Tokyo, the tables turned. Seville ran a personal best of 9.77 seconds to win the men’s 100m at the World Athletics Championships, becoming the new world champion. Fellow Jamaican Kishane Thompson took silver in 9.82, while Lyles, slowed by injury and with limited preparation, claimed bronze in 9.89.
“I came to the world championships with only four races over 100 metres under my belt,” Lyles said. “In the final, I was able to run my season’s best, and I will never be disappointed with that.”
Eyeing redemption
Lyles, 28, now faces greater pressure to retain his 200m crown — a title he’s won at the last three world championships. He’ll also be eyeing redemption after losing Olympic gold in Paris to Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo while battling COVID. Tebogo, critical of Lyles’ outspoken style, will be eager to prove that the Olympic win was no fluke.
“I don’t like easy races. I hate them,” Lyles said. “I want you to try and take it off my head. So I have a reason to get excited.”
From controversy to charisma, Lyles built his brand on boldness — and now, he’s fighting to keep his crown.
