“Now I know why Usain Bolt is so successful”- Oblique Seville gets real about Glen Mills' magic touch after winning World Championships gold medal

Oblique Seville was recently crowned the 100m World Champion, becoming the first Jamaican man after Usian Bolt to achieve this feat. In light of his accomplishment, Seville reflected on the role that coach Glen Mills played in both his and Bolt’s success on the track.

Seville has long since been touted as one of Jamaica’s best sprinters. However, prior to the 2025 World Athletics Championships, the 24-year-old was unable to deliver results on the big stages, consistently failing to medal when it mattered the most.

However, in Tokyo, Oblique Seville finally turned things around for himself as he outdid Kishane Thompson and Noah Lyles to win the 100m gold medal. In light of this, the Jamaican reflected on the role coach Glen Mills played in his victory, telling Sheldon Edwards,

“First thing, he (Mills) is a very intelligent man, god fearing, and I respect him to the max. And when I look back at Usain Bolt’s career, now I know why he's so successful (it's) because of that man. Because he has taught me so much. Not just training, but otherwise, off the track and on the track. He literally, there's not much words that I can explain, but trust me, he's done so much for me. He took my career and it's like his prophecy has come to pass.”

He went on to list Mills’ achievements as a coach, adding,

“Mister Mills brings a lot to the table, because he's the only coach that has three medalists from the same club in one race, which is the 200m. He has four World Championships from four different athletes. He has medals in the 100m, 200m, and the 400m and we are talking about gold.”

Outside of Usian Bolt and Oblique Seville, Glen Mills has also coached 100m World Champions Yohan Blake and Kim Collins as well as Olympic medalist Ray Stewart.

A look back at Oblique Seville’s 2025 season

Seville at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025 (Image Source: Getty)

After a disappointing 2024 where he failed to medal at the Paris Olympics, Oblique Seville kicked off his 2025 season on a high note. The Jamaican clinched the win in the 400m at the Camperdown Classics and followed this up with a 200m title at the Velocity Fest. He then experienced a slight slump as he settled for silver in several consecutive events, including the Racers Grand Prix and the Jamaican Championships.

However, he turned things around for himself prior to the World Championships, clinching decisive wins in the 100m at the London and Lausanne Diamond Leagues. In Tokyo, Oblique Seville capped off his impressive season with his maiden World Championships gold medal as he beat Kishane Thompson and Noah Lyles to the 100 finish line.

Edited by Riddhi Acharya