Seville and Thompson stare Americans down as Jamaica dominates men’s 100m semi-finals
/ Our Today
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Both Oblique Seville and Kishane Thompson stared down American rivals Noah Lyles and Fred Kerley to win their respective semi-final match-ups for a cracking grand finale less than hours away at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games on Sunday (August 4).
Seville, in a rematch of June’s Racers Grand Prix bout, again defeated Lyles in the semi-final one to cross the line first in a lifetime best time of 9.81 seconds. Similar to the stare-down in Kingston, Seville and Lyles exchanged mid-race glances up to the finish line.
Cinching an automatic qualification slot in 9.83s, Lyles was seemingly irritated by his second consecutive rounds defeat.
South Africa’s Akani Simbine ran a brisk 9.86s to win semi-final two ahead of Botswanan Letsile Tebogo (9.91s) and provisional qualifiers Lamont Marcell Jacobs (9.92s), Italy’s defending Olympic champion, and American no. 2 Kenny Bednarek (9.93s). Jamaican Ackeem Blake fought valiantly but missed a qualification, finishing fifth in 10.06s.
Thompson put just enough in the tank for a 9.80s clocking ahead of Kerley (9.84s). Just as was done in the Seville-Lyles clash, the two stared each other down close to the finish line before smiling and shaking hands post-race.
Mitchell Town, Thompson’s home town in Clarendon, erupted into pandemonium on witnessing the Jamaican storm confidently into the finals.
WATCH:
The explosive finals kick off at 2:55 pm Jamaica time.
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