Seville trusting plan for 2023 campaign
Published:Saturday | April 8, 2023 | 12:13 AMDaniel Wheeler/Staff Reporter
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Sprinter Oblique Seville says that, while his 2023 racing calendar will not be packed, he is keeping his focus on fulfilling his potential after a season where he made his first World Championship final. Seville will be competing in Florida today...
Sprinter Oblique Seville says that, while his 2023 racing calendar will not be packed, he is keeping his focus on fulfilling his potential after a season where he made his first World Championship final.
Seville will be competing in Florida today at the Miramar Invitational Meet but he is also booked to compete at the Racers Grand Prix on June 3 at the National Stadium, the first time the meet will be held since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The former Calabar High star has run three races this season, which included his first 100 metres race of the season at the John Wolmer Speed Fest on March 18. He says that the plan is for a limited schedule this season with a long-term focus on continuing his development.
“I’m not quite sure what will happen (this season) but my coach and I sat down and he told me I am not going to do many races for this season. So, I will maybe do a few. So, it will be up to my coach to decide what I will do this season,” Seville told The Gleaner. “It’s all (to do) with my development and health-wise. So he is kind of easy with me. I am just taking my time going forward.”
Seville took a step forward in that development last season when he placed fourth in the 100m at the World Championships final in Eugene, as well as clocking seven sub-10 times highlighted by his personal best of 9.86 last May.
EMBRACING THE CHALLENGE
Knowing the elevated expectations from the outside (on taking the next big step this year), Seville says he is embracing the challenge of being able to continue improving as well as unlocking his potential.
“When you are performing at the highest level, you have to expect those kinds of comments, because you put yourself in that position for people to expect great things. So it is for me to go out there and show them that I can do better than what I did last season,” Seville said.
It is that drive that has him ready for a big year, which he hopes will include a World Championships medal this year in Budapest.
“I’m highly motivated for this season because of what happened to me in the past. You have to learn from it and take it as a life lesson. So, going forward, this is something I should do, and do my best when I go out there.”