Seville not feeling any pressure

After pocketing his second sub-10-second performance of the season, sprinter Oblique Seville is not focused on the pressure to live up to elevated expectations but is committed to staying the course for his own development.

Seville took victory over 100 metres last weekend at the Atlanta City Games meet, clocking 9.99 seconds, his second sub-10 performance of the season ahead of South Africa's Akani Simbine (10.01) and his Racers Track Club teammate Zharnel Hughes (10.07) of Great Britain. His countryman Ryiem Forde was fourth in 10.07.

This is Seville's second meet outside of Jamaica, having competed at the Miramar Invitational in Florida last month. Competing for the first time in a month, Seville said that the focus has always been on his own growth although he knows that given his strong performances last season, higher goals would be expected.

"I don't feel pressure because as long as you perform to the extreme a lot of people are going to have high expectations. But it is just for you to do what you can do," Seville said after the race. Seville clocked seven sub-10 times last season, highlighted with a 9.86 run in May in a campaign which saw him finish fourth in his first world championship final.

Meanwhile, in other results for the Jamaicans, Antonio Watson finished fourth in the men's 150m in 14.93, a race which was won by World 200m champion Noah Lyles of the United States. Rajay Hamilton was third in the men's 600m. For the women, Ashanti Moore was third in 11.10 in the final of the women's 100m which was won by American Aleia Hobbs in 10.99.

Ramona Burchell was second in the women's 150m in 16.73 while Natoya Goule was second in the women's 600m in 1:28.18. Crystal Morrison finished fourth in her 100m hurdles heat in 13.33 and did not advance to the final. Former World 100m hurdles champion Danielle Williams also had a difficult day, finishing fourth in her heat in 12.92.