Oblique Seville has opened up about his World Championship triumph and the special role Usain Bolt played in his journey back to glory.
Oblique Seville stormed to a personal best of 9.77 seconds to capture gold in the men's 100m final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan.
Among those celebrating his triumph was none other than the fastest man alive, Usain Bolt, who could not contain his excitement for his fellow Jamaican.
The reigning world 100m champion held off Olympic silver medallist Kishane Thompson and Olympic champion Noah Lyles, who finished second and third, respectively.
Oblique Seville later shared that seeing Usain Bolt's reaction made the victory even more meaningful. Having the eight-time Olympic champion there to witness the moment was special.
Usain Bolt had long believed in Oblique Seville's potential, even though earlier disappointments, including his setbacks at the Paris Olympic Games, made this redemption all the more satisfying.
Oblique Seville reflected on the encouragement he had once received from Usain Bolt, noting that the sprint legend had expressed confidence in his potential if he managed to remain healthy.
He admitted that the prediction had proven accurate, though his own progress was hindered by an untimely injury in the Olympic final.
The setback, he said, left him feeling as though he had disappointed Usain Bolt and himself. However, Oblique Seville added that he eventually came to terms with the situation, resolving that once fully recovered, he would return stronger for the 2025 season, determined to make it his defining year.
"Wow, man. Because I think last year at the Olympics, he said he thinks that I can create a lot of damage if I stay fit, which he spoke the truth, but I failed because I got disappointed because of the injury that I had in the finals. And I was like, damn, man," Oblique Seville revealed on CBC Sport.
"I felt so bad for myself and like I let this man down. But I said to myself, you got injured. So when I come back, when I come back in the 2025 season, I said, 'Okay, I've been preaching to myself and saying to myself, this is going to be my year.'"
The 24-year-old further explained that Usain Bolt shared a strong bond with his coach, Glen Mills, and the two often exchanged insights about his progress.
He mentioned that Usain Bolt had complete faith in his coach's judgment, trusting his assessments without question. Oblique Seville acknowledged that while some observers had doubted Usain Bolt's support for him, given his struggles in previous finals, those doubts were misplaced.
He clarified that the perception of him having issues performing in major finals was unfounded. Reflecting on his latest victory, Oblique Seville said he felt an overwhelming sense of joy when he returned home and watched Usain Bolt's reaction, knowing that the sprint legend had been present in the stadium to witness his breakthrough win after years of belief in his potential.
"And he and my coach have a great relationship there. You know that they're going to have a conversation, and anything that my coach says, Usain Bolt is going to believe it 110%. So he knows what he's saying," Oblique Seville added.
"So when you go out there and say these people may look at him and say, 'Why choose Seville? Because Seville struck so many times." No, because everyone thought that I had an issue with the finals, which is not.
"When I realised that when I when I go went home after those finals and saw how he reacted, I was so happy knowing that he was in the stadium to see me win for the first time because he had been saying it for years. I feel so happy."
Now with the world title and a personal best under his belt in the 100m, Oblique Seville's focus has already shifted to the next challenge, conquering the 200m.
Oblique Seville believes that doubling his dominance on the track is the next natural step in his journey, and with the unwavering support of Usain Bolt, the very man who once ruled both sprints, he is more determined than ever to etch his own name in athletics history.