Usain Bolt namedrops Jamaica athlete who can take his throne as sprint king

Usain Bolt has named the sprinter who he believes can finally smash his 100 metres world record.

The Jamaican’s 9.58sec run at the 2009 World Athletics Championship in Berlin remains the fastest time ever over the distance.

Others have come close. Yohan Blake and Tyson Gay both clocked 9.69sec in 2009 and 2012 respectively but 16 years after the incredible feat, Bolt remains the sprint king.

The emergence of Olympic champion Noah Lyles, Kishane Thompson and Fred Kurley shows that the 100m is in safe hands for the foreseeable future.

Add to that the growing profile of Australian star Gout Gout and 15-year-old Brit Divine ‘Lightning’ Iheme and perhaps Bolt’s stranglehold on the record could be in danger in the coming years.

But Bolt has identified Oblique Seville as the outstanding candidate to break his long-standing record and become the new track king.

“I feel like Oblique can do it, “ Bolt told The Fix Podcast. “If he can stay fit during the season and get it right, I feel he can do it, because I am sure there is something there, the ability to do it.

“Some of the time Oblique can be fragile. It’s a matter of the work situation or whatever, but if he’s doing enough work, he can do it. It’s a matter of time because he’s not missed the finals yet, so it’s just to get over the hump.”

Fellow Jamaican Seville, has been on an upward trajectory since his fine showing at his country’s 2020 Olympic Trials.

Seville finished third at the event but has not looked back since. In 2024, he was signed by the Grand Slam Track and is part of the same group as established sprinters such as Gabby Thomas and Alexis Holmes.

“He’s the master and he just needs to find the right season, stay clean and do the right thing, and if the coach believes him and the coach says. It’s just that he needs to put it all together,” Bolt added.

So, no pressure on Seville then.

4

4

His confidence has shown no signs of slowing down having defeated Lyles in the recent Racers Grand Prix in Jamaica with a superb time of 9.82sec.

His appearance in the Olympic 100m final in Paris will also have served him well for the future.

Bolt knows first hand what Seville is capable of having kept in tune with the 23-year-old’s development.

Seville trains under legendary coach Glen Mills who worked alongside Bolt during his glittering career.

And while the sprint world is undecided on the heir apparent to Bolt, Jamaica appears ready to produce another talent ready to step into his shoes.

Seville is seen as the man to help restore Jamaica’s standing as the undisputed kings of sprinting after Italy’s Marcell Jacobs took gold in Tokyo before Lyles reigned supreme in Paris.

4

Discussing the ongoing debate on who is the world’s fastest man, a title often labelled at Lyles, Bolt said: “I find it funny. When I heard it for the first time, I wondered if I’d lost my mind. That’s desperate. That’s the first thing that I thought.

“I was like, come on, man, if you want it, then earn it, man. Earn it, earn it. You are the fastest man today. This year. It’s something I just laugh off.”

Although Lyles has the medal to prove that he is sprinting’s top dog, Bolt remains focused on the future of Jamaican athletics.

His support for Seville suggests that he believes the next dominant star will emerge from his homeland.