“I have a bye for the US trials which makes it less stressful because it gives us the time to work on the races,” Noah Lyles said earlier this week. The Olympic champ even added, “It gives us time to see what works and what doesn’t and to be able to make moves from there.” On Saturday in London, however, Oblique Seville made the only move that mattered, blowing past Lyles with the kind of precision that made the latter’s opening 100m of 2025 fall pale in comparison.

The Jamaican sprinter had already done what no one else managed in 2024, beating Lyles in the 100 meters at Kingston back in June, clocking a blistering 9.82 seconds—a personal best and world lead at the time—at the Racers Grand Prix. In London during the Diamond League on Saturday, he returned with the same intent. He successfully confirmed that Kingston was no fluke, with a clean two-meter lead after just 20 meters. The Jamaican athlete burst out of the blocks and never yielded, crossing the finish in 9.86 seconds. Lyles, unable to close the gap despite a clean drive phase, followed second with 10.00.

Notably, the race was initially billed as a clash between the Olympic champions last year—Lyles and Botswana’s 200m champ Letsile Tebogo. But when the gun sounded at the sold-out London Stadium, site of the 2012 Olympic Games, it was Seville who seized the spotlight, relegating Tebogo to a distant seventh (10.12), behind Zharnel Hughes (10.02), Ackeem Blake (10.08), Akani Simbine (10.11), and Jeremiah Azu (10.11), in front of 60,000 people.

Lyles later reacted in an upbeat tone, “I feel great after that, I feel extremely healthy, and I am feeling no pain. I wanted the win, but I think it was my fastest-ever season opener, so I will take that result today.” Taking to Instagram later, he also shared, “What a great race and one of my best 100m season openers. Can’t express how good it feels to be racing again. I’m ready to go again!”

Seville, who trains under Usain Bolt’s former coach Glen Mills, called the performance “phenomenal.” Speaking to the Diamond League media, he said, “I am proud of how I ran amongst a stacked field, and to win. I was the only one to run under 10 seconds today, it is something special and phenomenal heading into a major championship later this year.”

“Everything I have been practising in training, I delivered out there today. Coming out here and performing against these athletes makes me want to push a little harder. London is the place I wanted to run, so to get the Diamond League win here is very special to me,” the 24-year-old further added. It is the second time in six weeks that Seville has gotten the better of Lyles, and the second time he has done so by executing a near-perfect race. For Lyles, who was returning from injury and banking on time to sharpen his form ahead of September’s World Championships in Tokyo, the message was clear: The road to gold in Japan will not run uncontested.

Oblique Seville’s performance in London was built on a rocket start, and one fan couldn’t hold back—“My eyes bulged when I saw how fast Seville got out of the blocks.” The shock wasn’t just emotional. Rather, it was technical. Seville was separated by 40 meters and had enough cushion to “celebrate at the end lol.”

In a stacked race, that kind of confidence underscored why he’s the only man to drop Lyles twice in 100m since 2024. And the fan, too, had a lot to share on this race!

Fans are upset with Noah Lyles while gushing over Oblique Seville

The criticism from one Instagram user, “Poor start and poor finish for Noah. Oblique might be the new Usain”, reflected how comprehensively Lyles was outclassed. In Kingston, Seville ran a world-leading 9.82. In London, he followed it up with 9.86 against both Lyles and Tebogo. It’s not just the speed, it’s the timing, consistency, and Bolt-like separation that’s got fans asking if Seville is next in the Jamaican lineage.

One fan wrote, “What happens to Noah Lyles whenever he races Seville outside global finals.” 

Another social media user summed it up perfectly—“not the outcome I expected though.” Given that the reigning Olympic Champion Noah Lyles was in the mix, expectations were high. For Lyles, it was a return from injury and a season opener, but Seville’s total control over both parts of the race made second place feel like a mercy outcome rather than a close contest.

Jamaican sprinting pride was in full force, with one user posting,“Chase me if you can. These Jamaicans are just a different breed.” 

One brutally honest reaction, “What a sh– race from everyone besides Seville,” spoke to the visual reality. Another fan wrote, “10.00?… we know Noah didn’t run his best race.” While Seville surged and celebrated in 9.86, no one else broke 10 seconds. Not Lyles, not Tebogo, not Simbine. For a Diamond League headliner, it felt like a solo act. And in that solo act, Seville made clear that his edge over Lyles isn’t accidental—it’s executional.

The comment, “Beat em right off the start” was short but precise. Seville didn’t just win, he crushed the competition before they had a chance to respond. That opening phase set the tone and exposed everyone else’s delay, especially Lyles, who couldn’t recover despite his pedigree. Two head-to-head wins in six weeks. Seville’s not just in form, He’s in control.