Usain Bolt chooses successor to 100m throne

(Dan Tri) - Usain Bolt has announced a potential successor to his 100m crown. Surprisingly, Noah Lyles - who was once praised by the Jamaican athletics legend - is not on the list.

Lyles will face Kishane Thompson at the Diamond League in Poland this weekend in the 100m, after finishing runner-up to Oblique Seville in London last month.

The event on August 16 marks the first time the American sprinter and his Jamaican rival Thompson have faced off since the 2024 Paris Olympics. In Paris 12 months ago, Lyles beat Thompson by just five thousandths of a second, completing the 100m in 9.79 seconds.

Lyles will face a big test at the upcoming Diamond League, with Thompson, Christian Coleman, Trayvon Bromell and Kenny Bednarek all set to compete in a thrilling 100m race scheduled to start at 3:58 p.m. ET on August 16.

Oblique Seville celebrate victory at the London Diamond League (Photo: Getty).

However, according to Bolt himself, none of these five Olympic-qualified athletes can inherit his "throne".

Several athletes have been compared to the Jamaican legend, including Australian Gout Gout, who is also considered a major talent. But Bolt has placed his faith in Seville, who edged out Lyles to take first place at the London Diamond League last month in 9.86 seconds at the London Stadium.

Seville had dreamed of winning gold in Paris last year, but a recurring groin injury in the final 20 metres saw him finish the race in eighth place, with Lyles finishing first.

The 24-year-old will be aiming for a podium finish at the World Championships in Tokyo next month, looking to make up for disappointment at the 2024 Olympics.

Seville is confident in his ability, telling The Gleaner last December: “I want to achieve big things by 2025. I think I’ve been expecting to win medals, so my target for next season is to be in the top three in every category. If I can get fit and meet the standard, I know I’ll have no problem competing.”

Bolt has chosen Seville over Lyles as the man to break his 100m record. Speaking on The Fix Podcast , Bolt said: "I think Oblique can do it. If he keeps fit throughout the season and plays well, I think he can do it, because I'm sure he has the potential, the ability to do it. Oblique can be a bit weak sometimes. It's a matter of work or something, but if he trains hard enough, he can do it."

Bolt went on to add that Seville is the man to take Jamaica back to the top of men's sprinting: "Oblique can do it. If he stays fit throughout the season and performs well, because I'm sure he has the quality, the ability to do it."

Although Seville will not run the 100m in Poland this weekend, he will be keeping a close eye on it ahead of the World Championships in Tokyo in September.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/usain-bolt-chon-nguoi-ke-nhiem-ngoi-vuong-tren-duong-chay-100m-20250815155609609.htm