Usain Bolt has chosen who he believes is his 100m heir, and Noah Lyles, of whom the Jamaican sprinter has spoken highly of in the past, didn’t make the cut.
Lyles will go up against Kishane Thompson in the Diamond League in the 100m in Poland this weekend as he looks to better his second-placed finish to Oblique Seville in London last month.
Saturday’s event will mark the first time the US sprinter and Jamaican counterpart Thompson face off since the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Lyles bested Thompson in Paris 12 months’ ago, beating the 24-year-old by just five thousandths of a second as the American ran the 100m in just 9.79 seconds.
Tough field for Lyles in upcoming Diamond League meet
And it’s not just Thompson that Lyles needs to be wary of, with Christian Coleman, Trayvon Bromell and Kenny Bednarek making up what is a packed field for the 100m event, which starts at 15:58 on Saturday (August 16th).
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However, none of the five Olympic standard sprinters are the heir to Bolt’s throne, according to the man himself.
A number of runners have been touted to match or exceed the legendary Jamaican runner, with Australian Gout Gout another tipped for greatness having previously drawn comparisons with Bolt.
Bolt, though, has thrown his backing behind Seville, who ran pipped Lyles to first in the London Diamond League meet last month having run the 100m in 9.86 seconds at the London Stadium.
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Seville would have fancied his chances of claiming gold in Paris last year, but a reoccurrence of a groin problem in the final 20 metres saw him end the race in eighth and Lyles finish first.
The 24-year-old will have a podium place at the World Championships in Tokyo next month on his mind as he looks make up disappointment in the 2024 Olympics.
And Seville is confident in his own ability, telling The Gleaner in December last year: “I want to achieve great things in 2025. I think I had expected to have gotten a medal, so, for next season, my aim is to be in the top three in everything that I am doing. If I am able to get fit and up to standards, I know I will have no problems with competing.”
Bolt picks out Seville and not Lyles as man to break 100m record
Bolt, meanwhile, has thrown his backing behind Seville, insisting he can break his 100m record when he told The Fix Podcast: “I feel like Oblique can do it. If he can stay fit during the season and get it right, I feel he can do it, because I am sure there is something there, the ability to do it.
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“Some of the time Oblique can be fragile. It’s a matter of the work situation or whatever, but if he’s doing enough work, he can do it.”
Bolt went on to add that Seville is the man to restore Jamaica to the pinnacle of men’s sprinting, adding: “Oblique can do it. If he can stay fit through the season and get it right, he can do it because I’m sure there’s something there, the ability to do it.”
While Seville won’t be running the 100m in Poland this weekend, he’ll be watching with a keen eye ahead of the World Championships in Tokyo in September.
Topics: Usain Bolt, Noah Lyles, Athletics
Ben McAleer