London DL: Seville hands Olympic champion Lyles first defeat on return

Jamaican speedster Oblique Seville delivered a stunning upset with a resounding victory over reigning Olympic champion Noah Lyles in the men's 100m at the London Diamond League meeting on Saturday, 19, July.

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Seville raced to victory in a time of 9.86 seconds, holding off a stellar field, which included Olympic 100m champion Lyles, Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo, and South Africa’s Akani Simbine.

Lyles, who lined up for his first 100m since he was crowned Olympic champion in Paris 2024, crossed the line in a time of 10.00. He suffered his first loss in London in three years.

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The race was billed as the battle of the Olympic short-sprint champions, with Tebogo and Lyles renewing their rivalry.

In their most recent match-up battle, Lyles had come out on top, beating Tebogo in his specialty, 200m, at the Monaco Diamond League meeting.

Seville reaction off the blocks left Lyles and the rest of the field chasing his heels from the get go, leaving him time to celebrate before the finish line.

Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes rounded out the podium in third place with 10.02.

"I am proud of how I ran amongst a stacked field, and to win. I was the only one to run under 10 seconds today, it is something special and phenomenal heading into a major championship later this year," Seville said after the race.

"Everything I have been practising in training, I delivered out there today. Coming out here and performing against these athletes makes me want to push a little harder. London is the place I wanted to run, so to get the Diamond League win here is very special to me."

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