Oblique Seville on his big aspirations, silencing doubters, and drawing inner strength from his dad: 'They will see my true strength in Tokyo'

Oblique Seville takes a deep breath before speaking. He gazes down at his phone case as a faint smile appears on his face.

“I love pictures,” he says. “It doesn’t matter who it is... I started to grow a love for cameras, taking pictures... Then, later, I learnt that my father did have a camera, and I said, ‘OK, this is where it is coming from.'”

He turns his phone over on the table. His case shows a picture from 2001 of a man holding an infant. The man is Gerald, Seville’s father, who always believed he was raising a world-class sprinter.

This photograph has become more than just a picture to Seville: it is a strong memory of his late father that keeps pushing him to run faster and with more bounce.

That memory continues to inspire Seville, even over the past weeks - a time he looks back on with gratitude. Things could have easily gone differently.

On the starting line of the 100m final of the Jamaican National Trials last June, he felt some discomfort and almost pulled out. Nevertheless, he decided to race, finishing second to qualify for the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25. It was the type of recovery that could potentially change his career and life.

“It was one of my best races, to be honest. Knowing what was happening and the way I finished that race, it showed that for these world championships, I'm going to win.”

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Oblique Seville: from a mother’s prophecy to speed on the track

Seville remembers very well when his sprinting journey started in his hometown of Kingston, Jamaica. He would beat older boys in races, confirming a prophecy from his mother that he would be a talented sprinter.

“I was running against the big guys while I was in kindergarten, and I would show my class against them,” Seville told Olympics.com shortly before he set off for Tokyo.

In an earlier interview with the Jamaican Star, Seville’s mother, Juliet, revealed she had always known her son would be fast.

“During [my] pregnancy, he was moving up and down in my belly [as if] he was running. He was my last baby and was very active,” she said of the youngest of her three children.

“He was also a vibrant little boy growing up. When he went to Sunday School, he couldn’t keep [still]… he would run from the seat straight to the rostrum.”

Those quick, early steps became a feature of Seville’s school years, although he initially toyed with the idea of giving up running.

“When I started high school, I wanted to put it down and focus more on school,” he told us. “And then, boom! I ran very fast, and my life changed at that point.”

The fleet-footed teenager captivated the attention of trainers at Calabar High, a renowned athletics school in Jamaica that has served as the starting point for several of the nation's most renowned sprinters.

“Everyone in my community knew that I could do track & field because they realised how fast I was at the time… Initially, I was in a school that was more focused towards girls' track. And then, someone from Calabar realised my talent.”

Oblique Seville on chasing his father’s dreams: "He was my first fan"

2019 was an outstanding year for the then 18-year-old Seville, who won gold in the 100m at the CARIFTA Games and the Pan-American U20 Championships.

Arguably, one of the hardest things he had to do was to show up for both events. The intensity of the competition wasn’t the issue; rather, the emotional toll of the months before.

At the end of 2018, Seville’s cricket-loving father passed away due to a suspected heart attack. The loss was devastating to the youngster.

“Oblique was extremely broken. He was his greatest support and mentor," said his mother of her late husband.

Seville himself went further, while looking back on that difficult time.

“My father pushed me because he realised my talent. He had tried to push my brother to run, but it never went well for him. So, he was my first fan, my first supporter,” he said quietly.

“He didn’t get to see my true talent… it was an emotional time for me…

“Imagine your first supporter, the person who pushed you to reach this far in whatever you're doing… passing away and never getting to see your success. I have lived with that for years… up to this day…

“The last time I spoke to him, about two weeks before he died, we talked about track & field. He told me, 'Son, just go and do it because you can. '”

Oblique Seville on training with Usain Bolt's coach and silencing doubters

True to his father’s words, Seville rose to become a medal contender in a competitive men’s field at the last Olympics, as well as recent editions of the World Championships.

He has made a name for himself as one of the most consistent sprinters from Jamaica.

At Paris 2024, he ran a personal best of 9.81. Even though the final result wasn't what he had hoped for, he showed significant improvement after not qualifying for the Tokyo 2020 final.

With two consecutive fourth-place finishes at the past two world championships, Seville is eager to silence the doubters.

“I now understand that [in life] you have your fans, your haters, and you have spectators,” he said. “In Budapest, no one in my country expected me to even make the finals. But I went out there and showed that I still can manage to be a medal contender.

“Over the years, I have shown my class; it's just unfortunate that I haven't got a medal. So, the narrative that's going to spread is that I have a mental problem going into finals, which is not the case.”

Training under legendary coach Glen Mills, the man who guided Usain Bolt to sprinting supremacy, Seville has made a case for himself whenever he starts.

“Bolt is my idol, and I am now working with his coach,” Seville continued. “He's brilliant. He knows how to get you ready. And he has proven that over the years with me, over and over, and he has shown it with Bolt and more.”

Seville also revealed how one particular feature of his physique has made his achievements even more special.

“If my coach said that this is what it's going to be, that's what it is going to happen. All you need to do is do your part and see what happens.

“Because if you check the statistics, how many athletes with my height run the time that I am running?” asked the 170cm tall (5ft 7 in) athlete, before chuckling at the thought he may well be the fastest and shortest among the current group of elite sprinters.

He also points out that he is one of a very small group of Jamaican sprinters to have broken the 10-second barrier in the 100m before turning 21.

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