TOKYO: Two new 100m world champions were crowned on Sunday night as Jamaica’s Oblique Seville led a double podium finish that rewrote men’s sprint history while Melissa Jefferson-Wooden of the US ran a championship record — all that happening as Usain Bolt watched from the stands of a sold-out Japan National Stadium.
The 21-year-old Seville crossed the finish line in a 9.77 personal best ahead of Thompson in 9.82 and the USA’s reigning champion Noah Lyles, who won bronze with a season’s best 9.89.
“It was a good run because these two actually pushed me to run a personal best,” Seville, the youngest 100m champion, said at the post-race press conference. He became the third Jamaican sprinter to win this title.
“To come out here and run a 9.77 is something amazing, and in Japan is where I made my debut; to get a medal is something great for me.”
Jefferson-Wooden came in as the world lead and left Tokyo with a gold medal, proving her superiority to round off a season unbeaten. Tina Clayton continued Jamaica’s podium finish just minutes earlier when she blasted a 10.76 personal best while Olympic champion Julien Alfred took bronze with 10.84.
“This year has been nothing short of a dream. I’ve been working so hard for this moment to come out here and focus on my execution,” 24-year-old Jefferson-Wooden said. “To put on the perfect race at the perfect time, I’m just so happy and grateful.”
For Clayton, a medal wasn’t even a goal coming into her first senior championships.
“The goal was to execute,” Clayton told the press conference with a shyness poles apart from the confidence that won her a medal an hour earlier. “Silver was not in my thoughts, but God did so, and I’m grateful.”
The American women led the country’s gold medal rush as Olympic Champions Tara Davis-Woodhall and Valarie Allman were crowned world champions for the first time in the long jump and discus throw, respectively.
