Jamaica's Oblique Seville
Credit: Reuters Photo
Tokyo: It was just like old times in Tokyo on Sunday as Usain Bolt was the star attraction and Jamaica went 1-2 in the world 100 metres final - this time with Oblique Seville scorching a personal best 9.77 seconds ahead of Kishane Thompson, second again in 9.82.
It was the first time since the last of Bolt's world titles in 2015 that Jamaica had taken the gold and was the country's first global 1-2 since the 2012 London Olympics when Bolt and Yohan Blake led the way.
Defending champion Noah Lyles took a battling bronze in a season's best 9.89 as the United States' run of four successive titles came to an end.
"It is just a tremendous feeling to compete in front of Usain here in Tokyo," said Seville. "His coach is my coach and I know that both of them are very proud of me. I have proved, in front of him, that I am a champion and I am very proud of that."
The victory was a redemption of sorts for Seville, who had looked the man to beat through the rounds in last year's Olympics but finished last in the final.
This year he recovered from a dire start in the heats 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.
Seville said that while others might have questioned his temperament after Paris, he never had any doubts and when asked about what was different this time, he said: "I'm healthy. That's it.
"I know my talent and trust in myself. Last year I was injured for the final so this time I've proved myself.
"Everyone was saying in the first round that I am panicking, but I know what I am going through in that moment and I just brushed it aside and proved to myself that I am the champion. I think I have mastered the mental part.
"Finishing strong in the last 30 metres had been a problem during the season but now I have perfected it and I was confident that if I could do it in the final, I would win. And I did it in front of Usain."
Seville's 9.77 takes him into a share of 10th on the all-time list - still behind Thompson.
His compatriot, 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.
In Paris he was leading until the final strides but, though he again executed superbly on Sunday, it never looked as if he was going to make it.
"I was really locked in on executing the race but when it came to probably the last five metres, yeah, I saw how big it was moving and I was like 'oh, yeah, I didn't get it'.
Lyles, who had a delayed 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 metres. He looked happy with his medal though and will go again in the 200m, seeking a remarkable fourth successive world gold in the event.
"You always want the gold but it's been a crazy season, injury, rushing my season to try and get as many races as possible in," he said.
"I think we did the best we truly could have ever done. I came out here, I got my best start, I got my best race of the year. I'm never going to be disappointed in that."
His U.S. teammate Kenny Bednarek, who crossed the line in the semis smiling after dead-heating in 9.85 with Thompson, 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.