Carrying the weight of Jamaican sprinting

OBLIQUE SEVILLE is only too aware that in the post-Usain Bolt era of Jamaica’s track and field, men’s sprinting has taken a nosedive.

On Saturday night at the National Stadium when he took to the track in his first face-off against the United States’ Noah Lyles outside of a global event, he wanted to announce that Jamaica’s men were still a force to be reckoned with.

A cheeky look at Lyles towards the end of the race he finished in a personal best 9.82 may have made the race closer than it should have been, but his point was made.

“Back then with Usain Bolt and others, you know you have to showboat and everything that they usually do. You have to actually show the Americans that Jamaica is still up with the sprinting, so that was the reason why,” said Seville about the moment of cheek.

Seville was out of the blocks very quickly and got into his running before anybody else could react, controlling the race in such a way that the result never looked in question.

“My thoughts about the race was that I was coming to deliver in front of my Jamaican fans,” said Seville.

Earlier, Jaydon Hibbert started the night’s excitement at the National Stadium.

After a decent start with his first attempt of 16.45 metres, Hibbert immediately separated himself from the pack with a second attempt marked at 17.14.

As the only athlete to break the 17-metre barrier on the night, his second jump would have been enough for the win.

MASSIVE WORLD LEAD

However, Hibbert wasn’t done, extending his lead with his final two attempts, first reaching a mark of 17.30 on his third jump before closing the night with a massive world lead, a meet record, a stadium record, and a season’s best of 17.75.

“I was satisfied with the third and fourth jump of the series,” he said. “Obviously, getting the rounds in with my first time using the 14-steps since Budapest. I didn’t train with it no time this week. I only did, like, four-stride jumps just to reinforce the technique.

Speaking about becoming the world leader ahead of the Olympics, Hibbert said he wasn’t focusing on his competitors.

“I don’t really focus on the other guys. Shout out to them. They are great athletes, but I’m just focused on my progress because at the end of the day, I am the only one on the runway,” he said.

Another headliner on the night was St Lucia’s Julien Alfred.

A familiar face at the National Stadium, Alfred was a class above the field in the women’s 100 metres as she set a new personal best, a St Lucian national record, and equalled the meet record of 10.78 seconds set by Shericka Jackson last year.

Following her was Jamaica’s Krystal Solely, who continued her sublime form this season, lowering her personal best for the third time this year, to clock 10.99.

Sashalee Forbes was third in 11.05.

Stacey-Ann Williams took the women’s 400 metres in an Olympic-qualifying mark of 50.86 seconds, and compatriot Cherokee Young was third in 51.86.

American Lynna Irby-Jackson took second in 51.05.

In the men’s event, it was a close contest down the homestretch as Nigerian Emmanuel Bamidele edged teenager Roshawn Clarke for the win.

Bamidele crossed the line first in 45.49 seconds, just ahead of Clarke, 45.57. Zandrion Barnes was third in 45.62.