‘I still have work to do’: Seville embraces 200m PB as springboard for the season
Jamaican sprinter Oblique Seville was all smiles after he notched a new 200m personal best of 20.13 seconds at the second leg of the Grand Slam Track Series. In fact, he declared the performance a “big stepping stone” for what he hopes will be a breakthrough season.
The 24-year-old, who has been quietly piecing together strong early-season form, impressed on the United States circuit over the weekend, as he finished third in the 200m and second in the 100m in Miramar. He clocked 9.84s in the 100m, just shy of his lifetime best of 9.81s, and shaved four-hundredths of a second off his previous 200m mark of 20.17s, set last year in Kingston.
“It was a good race. It was preparation for the races I have coming up. I also ran 9.84s in the 100m, which is actually a good run as well, and I didn’t come here to run that fast, but I have more work to do,” Seville said after the event.
“But to know that I actually came out to this meet and got a personal best in the 200m is pretty good, and it’s a big stepping stone for me,” he added.
The result secured him runner-up honours in the two-race short sprint category, as he again finished behind American Kenny Bednarek, who has become a regular rival on the circuit.
Coming off a 10.08s and 20.43s double at the Kingston leg of the series—where he finished second and fifth, respectively—Seville’s improved showing in Florida confirms his upward trajectory and, perhaps more significantly, his growing comfort with the half-lap event.
But his relationship with the 200m is complicated.
“If I don’t have any issues with my toe, then I can take it on,” he said, referring to a chronic toe injury that has lingered since his high school days.
“Because of my toe, I have to be mindful of when and where I run the 200m,” Seville shared.
While the injury has not kept him off the track, Seville revealed that it does affect how and when he pushes himself, especially around the bend.
“It all depends on the degree of the pain. Sometimes it hurts a lot, so it depends on how it feels. I can push through,” he explained.
Despite the lingering discomfort, Seville’s performance is a clear indicator that his base speed is improving. Even though the 100m remains his primary focus heading into the summer, Seville pointed out that a stronger 200m profile can only help his overall development as a sprinter.
“I’m really happy because the last time I came third overall [in the Grand Slam Track Series], and I came second this time around, so it’s good,” he said.
With the Jamaican national trials and the World Athletics Championships on the horizon, Seville’s sharpness early in the season bodes well, and if all goes according to plan, then his first individual medal at a major senior international meet could very well be on the cards.
“I think I have a great management staff, coach, and therapist. They are the ones that guide me throughout my season and show me how to prevent injuries because each season I have been struggling with injuries, but for now I am not really struggling that much, and if things stay that way, then I expect great things for myself,” he ended.
