Oblique Seville is the man to beat once more. The 25-year-old laid down a sizzling time of 9.82 seconds to win the men’s 100 metres at the 2026 Jamaican Athletics Championships on Friday (19 June), usurping Nigerian Kayinsola Ajayi’s world lead of 9.84 in the process.
Leaving almost nothing on the track at Kingston’s National Stadium, the reigning world champion put on a show for the home crowd, powering away from the other seven finalists in a statement performance that truly showcased his newfound dominance in the event.
But while the national title might have ended up in the pre-race favourite’s hand, there was still some intrigue left when it came to the rest of the podium. Enter Gary Card, who stunned those eager to see the island’s fastest go head-to-head, finishing second in 9.93 seconds.
Out-leaning Ackeem Blake – runner-up in both the prelims and semi-finals – at the finish line, the teenager who is enrolled at the University of Technology in Kingston, threw his name into the hat for 2026 Commonwealth Games selection not a moment too soon.
Blake salvaged his own chances of being named to the team for Glasgow 2026, finishing third with a season’s best of 9.94, ahead of Nishion Ebanks – the fourth and final man to dip under the 10-second barrier – at 9.99 seconds.
Reigning champion Kishane Thompson, who posted a 9.75 at last year’s championships, ceded the title in absence. The cause of his non-entry into the championships remains unclear, but that won’t matter to Jamaica’s new fastest man: Oblique Seville.
He’ll aim to build on the legacy created by legends like Usain Bolt and Don Quarrie, as he targets further titles this summer at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, and the inaugural World Ultimate Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
READ MORE: https://www.olympics.com/en/news/2026-jamaican-athletics-championships-oblique-seville-lays-down-world-lead-to-win-men-s-100m-title
