Oblique Seville once again proved his growing dominance in the men’s 100m after defeating Olympic champion Noah Lyles at the Diamond League meeting in Lausanne. The Jamaican sprinter braved the wet and chilly conditions to clock 9.87 seconds, while Lyles followed in 10.02, finishing second.
This marked the second time this season that Seville has beaten Lyles, having also edged him in London with a winning time of 9.86 seconds against Lyles’ 10.00. Despite the back-to-back defeats, the American sprinter remains calm and confident as he builds toward the major championships ahead.
Lyles insisted that he was not surprised by Seville’s impressive run. Instead, he admitted that a poor reaction to the starting gun left him chasing the race from the beginning. By the time he managed to find his rhythm, Seville had already opened a decisive gap. Lyles tried to close it with his top-end speed, but the deficit proved too large to overturn.
“I expected to do the same thing, so I can’t say I’m surprised,” he explained after the race. “He’s a fantastic runner. I just had a really bad reaction to the gun, and after that there’s not much I could do. But everyone has to run in the same conditions, so fast times are always possible.”
The reigning Olympic champion emphasized that weather challenges are part of sprinting and that athletes are conditioned to produce strong performances regardless of external factors. For him, Lausanne was more about execution than conditions.
Looking ahead, Lyles has quickly shifted his focus to the Diamond League final in Zurich before turning his attention to the World Championships in Tokyo. As the defending champion in both the 100m and 200m, he knows the level of competition is rising, particularly with Seville and fellow Jamaican Kishane Thompson pushing for the crown in the short sprint.
While the 100m is shaping up to be one of the most fiercely contested events of the season, the 200m Lyles’ specialty remains wide open. Still, he is aware that maintaining his dominance will require sharper starts, flawless execution, and consistency under pressure. With confidence intact, he remains convinced that something special lies ahead as he prepares to defend his titles.
