Veteran coach Glen Mills has confirmed that Oblique Seville is expected to be part of Jamaica’s 4x100m relay team in London later this month, as the nation makes a last-ditch effort to qualify for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this September.
Jamaica, the world record holders in the event with a time of 36.84 set at the 2012 London Olympics, currently sits 18th in the world rankings—two spots outside the top 16 required for qualification. The team must run faster than 38.15 to secure a place, having previously posted times of 38.45 at the Paris Olympics last August and 38.46 at the Barbados Grand Prix on July 5.
To meet the mark, the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) is working to assemble a high-powered team for the London meet. That lineup could potentially include world-leader Kishane Thompson, who ran 9.75 to win the national title last month, Ackeem Blake (9.88 PB), Rohan Watson, and Ryiem Forde, who placed fourth in the national final. Seville, who finished second behind Thompson in 9.83 after experiencing cramping before the race, is also expected to be part of that team.
“He's going to be there, and I’ve agreed for him to run,” Mills confirmed to Sportsmax.TV on Thursday.
“It will be part of the relay effort to qualify the team. I think the association now—they’re trying to put a high-power team together to run in London,” he added.
Mills disclosed that he did not have details about the final composition of the squad, noting, “I don’t know the details because it involves other people."
Speaking specifically on Seville’s current condition, Mills said the sprinter is still in recovery following the issues that affected him at the National Championships in June.
“He is okay (but) we’re still recovering from what took place at the trial,” he said, admitting that the root of Seville’s challenges has yet to be fully resolved. “We're still working on it. We don't yet have a complete solution as to what the challenge is.”
With the World Championships in Tokyo just two months away, time is not on their side, but Mills remains hopeful.
Jamaica’s qualification hopes were severely dented at the World Relays in Nanjing, China in March, when the men’s 4x100m squad failed to finish in both rounds. A botched exchange between Julian Forte and Yohan Blake in the first round, and Forte’s injury during the second-round handover—again with Blake—left the team without a recorded time.
London now presents one of the final opportunities for redemption. With the talent pool available, qualification is well within reach—if the baton goes around cleanly.