Just as Oblique Seville was trying to move past one painful defeat, another one arrived! Just weeks after losing to NCAA star Kayinsola Ajayi at the Prefontaine Classic, where the Nigerian sprinter clocked 9.84 seconds to claim victory while Seville finished second in 9.89 seconds, the reigning world champion once again found himself on the losing side against the same 21-year-old rising star at the London DL. But this time, Seville promised that he was not going to let the setback continue.

On July 18 at the London Stadium, the Jamaican sprint star lined up against Ajayi once again, hoping to turn the momentum around after his Eugene defeat. However, Ajayi proved once again why he has become one of the biggest threats in the men’s 100m by running a 9.84-second victory and setting a new Nigerian record. While Seville finished second in 9.87 seconds, just three hundredths behind Ajayi.

For Seville, another defeat was disappointing, but the Jamaican refused to panic. Instead, he focused on the improvements he needs to make before the biggest races ahead. “It was a pretty good result, and a pretty good race for me. It is not the race I was wanting, but I come away from it knowing what I need to work on, so I need to get the job done,” Seville said after the race.

Meanwhile, Ajayi continues to enjoy the best stretch of his young career. The Auburn standout has gone from an NCAA star to a global contender, and his confidence has grown with every major performance. “I am doing the right things, I am keeping my focus, and I am really enjoying my running. I am happy with the race today,” Ajayi said.

Behind the two front-runners, Great Britain’s Romell Glave produced a personal best of 9.97 seconds to finish third, while Cameroon’s Emmanuel Eseme also ran 9.97 seconds for fourth place. South Africa’s Gift Leotlela and American Jordan Anthony both crossed under the 10-second mark with 9.99 seconds, while Zharnel Hughes finished seventh in 10.02 seconds and Jeremiah Azu ended the race in eighth with 10.07 seconds.

Despite all the impressive performances around him, all eyes were once again on Kayinsola Ajayi vs Seville.  But the latest showdown between Seville and Ajayi was not the beginning of their rivalry. Their battle had already started on athletics’ biggest stage.

Ajayi’s NCAA journey turns into a global challenge against World Champion Seville

Kayinsola Ajayi and Oblique first met at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, where they were drawn into the same 100m heat. In their first major head-to-head race, Ajayi finished ahead of Seville, clocking 9.88 seconds for second place while the Jamaican crossed the line third in 9.93 seconds.

However, when the pressure was at its highest, Seville delivered. The pair met again in the World Championship final, and this time Seville produced the performance of his career, running a stunning 9.77-second personal best to win the gold medal and become world champion. Ajayi finished sixth in 10.00 seconds. At that moment, Seville was the champion, and Ajayi was the young challenger trying to break into the elite group.

But 2026 has completely changed the picture. Ajayi has become the breakout star of the season, turning his NCAA success into world-class performances against the biggest names in sprinting.

The Nigerian first announced himself with a huge statement on May 29, when he clocked 9.84 seconds to break the Nigerian national record and set the world-leading mark at the time. Then on June 12, he produced an even more impressive performance, running a wind-aided 9.72 seconds in the NCAA 100m final. While the mark could not count as a legal record because of the wind, it placed him joint sixth on the all-conditions list of the fastest 100m performances ever

Meanwhile, Seville entered 2026 carrying the confidence of a world champion. The Jamaican won at the Monaco Diamond League, where he ran 9.88 seconds to take the win. But every time the two lined up together, Ajayi found a way to challenge him.

The Nigerian believes, “The NCAA prepared me for moments like this. Racing against top athletes every week gave me the confidence to compete on the professional stage.” Now, the story between Seville and Ajayi has taken a new turn!