Omanyala finishes behind Seville, Noah Lyles in Jamaican race
2nd June 2024
Seville ran the fastest 100 meters in the world this year, 9.82 seconds.
- Seville clocked 9.82s to finish ahead of American star Lyles, who crossed the line next in 9.85, just off his best of 9.83.
- The Jamaican is coached by Glen Mills, former mentor of legend Usain Bolt.
- Omanyala clocked 10.02s after overcoming a slow start.
Kenya’s sprint sensation Ferdinand Omanyala ended up finishing in third place at the Racers Grand Prix, an annual track meet held at the National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica, on Saturday in the race that was won by Jamaica's Oblique Seville.
Running in front of his home crowd, Seville ran the fastest 100 meters in the world this year, 9.82 seconds, to defeat reigning world champion Noah Lyles in the event.
The 23-year-old shocked himself with the effort, aided by a tailwind of 0.9 m/sec, to break his prior personal best of 9.86 and dominate American star Lyles, who crossed the line next in 9.85, just off his best of 9.83.
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"I feel good," Seville said. "I'm a little surprised. It's special to be able to run so fast without too much specific work. It shows that I can still do better."
The Jamaican is coached by Glen Mills, former mentor of legend Usain Bolt, for whom Jamaica has been looking for an heir since his 2017 retirement.
Seville collected places of honor during the last major championships: fourth in the 4x100m relay at the Tokyo Olympics and in the 100m at the Worlds in 2022 and 2023.
His clear race allowed him to tame Lyles, to whom he gave a defiant look at the line. The two sprinters ran significantly faster than the best prior 2024 time, 9.93 by Americans Christian Miller and Kendal Williams as Omanyala came third after overcoming a slow start to cross the line in 10.02 seconds.
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Lyles won titles in the 100, 200 and 4x100 relay in last year's Worlds at Budapest and is considered a major favorite for the Paris Olympics.
Elswehere, Saint Lucia athlete Julien Alfred, 22, also achieved a 2024 world-best performance in the women's 100m in 10.78 with a 1.3 m/s wind.
The 60m indoor world champion showed her ability to contend for gold in France.
Jamaican 19-year-old Jaydon Hibbert, the junior world record holder, soared 17.75m to win the triple jump (-0.7 m/s wind) to establish the best world mark this year.
World 60m hurdles indoor champion Devynne Charlton of the Bahamas won the 100 hurdles in 12.64 (1 m/s wind) and American Trey Cunningham took the 110m hurdles in 13.12 (0.8 m/s).
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Men’s Results 100m
1 Oblique Seville 9.82
2 Noah Lyles 9.85 SB
3 Ferdinand Omanyala 10.02
4 Kendal Williams 10.06
5 Zharnel Hughes 10.09
6 Josephus Lyles 10.14
7 Kadrian Goldson 10.18
8 Tyquendo Tracey 10.30
Additional reporting by AFP