Jamaican sprinter Oblique Seville says beating Olympic champion American Noah Lyles in back-to-back Diamond League men’s 100m races has given him the confidence to end Jamaica’s global men’s 100m championships drought.

Despite heavy rainfall, Seville executed a flawless race to run 9.87 seconds to win at the Athletissima Lausanne, in Brussels, Belgium, yesterday. This is the second-to-last stop in the series before the final next week.

Lyles, who was losing three-straight men’s 100m races to Jamaicans after he finished behind Kishane Thompson in Poland on Saturday, and to Seville on his Diamond League debut in London, was second in 10.02 seconds, the same time given to third-placed Ackeem Blake.

“Running 9.87 in those conditions shows I can go much faster, anywhere in the world,” Seville says. “I’ve beaten the Olympic champion twice, in London and here, and that gives me a lot of confidence heading into the [World Athletics] Championships.”

Usain Bolt’s third-straight Olympic Games win in Rio in 2016 is the last time a Jamaican man has stood on the top step of the podium and Seville said he wants to end that drought.

“It’s been a while since a Jamaican man has won the 100m at a global championship, and of course I believe I can be the one to do it,” he says.

Both Seville and Lyles say they are not expecting to line up in the Diamond League final set for Zurich, Switzerland from August 27 to 28 but would be heading back to their respective camps to fine-tune preparations for the World Athletics Championships set to start on September 13.

Former World Champion Tajay Gayle was third in the men’s long jump with 7.71m (-0.7m/s), just ahead of national champion Carey McLeod-7.67m (-0.5m/s).

National record holder Ackera Nugent finished fourth in the 100m hurdles, running 12.57 seconds (-0.5m/s) while national champion Megan Tapper was seventh in 13.06 seconds.

Nadine Visser of the Netherlands won in 12.45 seconds, ahead of the United States’ Masai Russell (12.53), with Switzerland’s Ditaji Kambundji third in 12.54 seconds.

Jamaica’s Oblique Seville celebrates after winning the men’s 100m event at the Wanda Diamond League meeting “Athletissima” at Stade Olympique de la Pontaise in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Wednesday. (Photo: AFP)