LONDON — Oblique Seville left Olympic champion Noah Lyles chewing his dust Saturday as the Jamaican blasted out of the blocks and kept the hammer down to win the London Diamond League 100 meters in an impressive 9.86 seconds.
American Lyles, who had been struggling with an ankle injury, began his season in earnest last week with victory in the 200 meters in Monaco and was in a confident mood ahead of Saturday’s shorter clash.
However, Seville, who impressed through the rounds at last year’s Olympics before finishing last in the final, roared to a two-meter lead after 20 meters and was never threatened as he came home clear.
Lyles produced his usual late surge, but it was enough only for second in 10.00, with Britain’s Zharnel Hughes third in 10.02.
