"Got a message that he passed away"- Oblique Seville opens up on losing his biggest support who encouraged him to achieve greatness

In the recently released part 2 of Netflix's docuseries 'The Sprint,' Oblique Seville recalled the moment when he received the news of his father's death and opened up about the latter's support towards him. The Sprint: Season 2, which was released on November 13, 2024, featured the behind-the-scenes of the Paris Olympics 2024.

The series highlighted the medal-winning journey of a few elite athletes, including Noah Lyles, Gabby Thomas, Fred Kerley, Melissa Jefferson, Twanisha Terry, Julien Alfred, Letsile Tebogo, and Kenny Bednarek. It also spotlighted Seville's quest to the French capital after losing the person who he considered his biggest cheerleader.

The Jamaican sprinter opened up on dealing with the untimely loss of his father Gerald Seville. His father passed away on December 7, 2018. In the second episode of the second season, the 23-year-old reflected on his father's unwavering belief in him.

"When I was growing up, my father was the one always pushing me," Seville said. "He was always supportive. Always supportive."

He added:

"In 2018, 7th December, he was riding his bike everyone saw him. And by the next morning I got a message that he passed away. Before he died, he said to me that 'You can do great things.'"

After making his debut at the 2020 Tokyo Games, having competed in the 100m semifinal and 4x100m relay, Seville made his second appearance at the Games in the French capital.

Oblique Seville earned the spot to compete in the 100m at the 2024 Paris Olympics after defeating the gold medalist Noah Lyes

Noah Lyles, Oblique Seville of Jamaika and Akani Simbine of South Africa compete during the Men's 100m Final at the Olympic Games 2024 at Stade de France in Paris. (Photo via Getty Images)

Oblique Seville defeated the 2024 Paris Olympic champion Noah Lyles in the 100m semifinal to earn the spot for the ultimate showdown.

While Lyles clocked a time of 9.83 seconds to finish in second place, the young Jamaican sprinter dominated the semifinal round with 9.81 seconds. However, in the final round, Seville had to settle in the eighth place after posting an underwhelming time of 9.91 seconds to finish behind America's Kenny Bednarek who listed 9.88s.

The 100m event in Paris was dominated by Lyles who registered 9.79s (.784), a narrow gap ahead of Kishane Thompson's 9.79s (.789). Seville's major career milestone was achieved during the 2023 World Championships, where he bagged a bronze medal in the men's 4x100m relay event along with Ackeem Blake, Rylem Forde, and Rohan Watson.