Usain Bolt names Noah Lyles' beater as sprinter who can break his 100m World Record

Usain Bolt has finally backed a sprinter to break his iconic 9.58s 100m world record, and he's the same Jamaican sprinter who beat Noah Lyles at the 2024 Racers Grand Prix. If you guessed it right so far, you'd also know Oblique Seville mocked Lyles before crossing the finish line.

While Lyles avenged the loss, somewhat, in the 100m final at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Seville pulled up his leg before the finish line and placed eighth in 9.91s. He had earlier beaten Lyles in the semifinals, running a lifetime best of 9.81s, and Bolt believes if he can get over the hump; it would be time for a new 100m world record.

"I feel like Oblique can do it," said Bolt on 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."

Seville has shown improvement over the years but his career has largely been plagued by injuries so far. But Bolt also struggled with similar issues in his early professional career and was then later shaped into his best by coach Glenn Mills, who now also coaches Seville.

"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 said.

Seville opened his 2025 season with a strong indoor 400m run at the Camperdown Classics, winning the race in 47.04s. Meanwhile, Lyles is on an undefeated run in four races so far, winning the finals of two races in 6.62s and 6.52s.

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Oblique Seville-Noah Lyles staredowns in 2024

Noah Lyles and Oblique Seville at the The Olympic Games 2024- Source: Getty

Oblique Seville stunned Noah Lyles at the Racers Grand Prix on June 2 last year, beating the American sprinter by 0.03s after looking across to Lyles. The 2023 world champion finished second in 9.85s.

"When I get beat, y'all better be scared as sh*t because next time you see me, you're going to be fu**ing worried," Noah Lyles said afterwards.

Lyles also posted on X that he would remember it, and while he did stare back at Seville, it came in a losing cause in the 100m semifinals at the Paris Olympics.

Noah Lyles didn't remember his rivalry with Seville in the 100m final, which saw a dramatic finish as Lyles thought Jamaica's Kishane Thomspon had won the race. Thompson also wasn't sure of his victory, and as both watched the screen in anticipation, Lyles' name flashed with a winning time of 9.784s, beating the Jamaican by five thousandths of a second.