Usain Bolt's 'lightning bolt' successor has been found

After many years of waiting, Jamaican athletics finally has a successor to Usain Bolt when Oblique Seville excellently won the 100m gold medal at the 2025 World Athletics Championships, taking place on September 14.

Oblique Seville won 100m gold medal at the 2025 World Athletics Championships - Photo: REUTERS

Oblique Seville had a historic day at the 2025 World Athletics Championships, winning the 100m gold medal in 9.77 seconds and officially establishing himself as a worthy successor to the legendary Usain Bolt.

Seville's victory was not just a medal, but also a strong response to those who had doubted him.

Seville became the first Jamaican to win the men's 100m since Usain Bolt at the 2016 Olympics at the age of 24. It has been a difficult journey, as he has failed several times in important finals.

At the 2022 and 2023 World Championships, he was the fastest qualifier but finished fourth in the final. Similarly, at the 2024 Olympics, Seville finished second in the semi-finals but last in the final race.

Oblique Seville (yellow shirt, number 7) in the moment of preparing to win - Photo: REUTERS

"This is a new chapter for me - the gold medal. For many years I have proven that I am a candidate to win the championship and today I did it," Seville shared.

Usain Bolt had previously put his full faith in his junior, declaring that Seville would be the champion. And yesterday, the athletics legend watched his every moment from the stands.

Seville, with a height of 1m70 (26cm shorter than Bolt), had an excellent performance to respond to his idol's trust.

Seville was emotional: "I wanted to meet Bolt to talk to him, because he once told the whole world that I would become the champion. Everyone ignored what he said. Now, I have proven, right in front of Usain Bolt, that I am the champion."

Seville ripped off his shirt in celebration at the finish line, sending the Tokyo stadium into a frenzy. "The last time Jamaica won the men's 100m gold was in 2016, and today the gold medal is back home. The secret is in the final acceleration - something I've struggled with all season. Today, I did well and won," he said.

The Oblique Seville victory was not only a personal milestone but also an important mark, opening a new era for Jamaican athletics after the era of Usain Bolt.

Although acknowledged by Usain Bolt himself as the “successor”, Oblique Seville still has a long way to go to reach the heights that “Lightning” once achieved.

At his peak, Bolt left behind milestones that no one has been able to surpass to this day: the 100m world record of 9.58 seconds (Berlin 2009) and the Olympic record of 9.63 seconds (London 2012).

TUAN LONG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/da-tim-ra-nguoi-ke-thua-tia-chop-usain-bolt-20250915104702036.htm