As he gets ready to run his second 100m this season at the Miramar South Florida Invitational in Florida this weekend, 2022 World Championship finalist Oblique Seville reveals he does not feel pressured by public expectations with his only focus being running faster than his personal best of 9.86 this season.

Jamaican fans spoiled by Usain Bolt, who won three consecutive 100 and 200m titles at the Olympics between 2008 and 2016 and a similar number of gold medals at the World Championships in 2009, 2013 and 2015 in both sprints, have been frustrated by the island’s seemingly inability to find someone to fill his massive shoes.

Seville, who made it to the semi-finals of the Tokyo Olympics and the finals of last year’s World Championships, has teased the Jamaican fan based about his prospects for the future. The former Calabar High School sprinter, who while at the Jamaica Pegasus on Tuesday was named among the athletes confirmed for the 2023 Racers Grand Prix in Kingston on June 3, told Sportsmax.TV, public expectations come with the territory.

“When you put yourself at a certain level, you have to expect the expectations from the people. You have to expect the expectations because you are the one who put yourself in that position so it’s just for you to fulfill the best you can be and the best version of yourself,” he said.

Seville, who turned 22 in March, said he is now healthy having overcome an injury that had impacted his preparations and is looking forward to the season ahead. He opened his season with a 60m dash running 6.42 at the Gibson/McCook Relays in February and is now working on being better than ever.

“Racers Grand Prix is preparation for the National trials. The little niggle that I had before I ran at the Gibson/McCook Relays, was a little back issue. I have recovered from it and going forward this season, I want to go under 9.86 (his personal best), that’s my aim for now and I’ll take it from there,” he said.

After finishing just outside the medals in the 100m finals at the 2022 World Championships in Oregon, Seville said he came away with very important lessons that will make him a better sprinter when going up against the world’s best.

“The World Championship finals taught me a lot of things about what I should work on this season,” he said. “My biggest downfall was my start and I am now working on it. I will take my time and coach (Glen Mills) has been patient with me so I will see what I can do this season.”

Several Jamaicans have been listed for the preliminary rounds of the 100m on Saturday, including Ackeem Blake, Michael Campbell, Andrew Hudson and Oshane Bailey. The meet has also attracted Cejhae Green of Antigua and Barbuda, Eric Harrison Jr of Trinidad and Tobago and Ian Kerr of the Bahamas.