Noah Lyles vs Kishane Thompson vs Oblique Seville — Who’s the Fastest?

One of the most exciting rivalries in the sport right now is Noah Lyles vs Kishane Thompson vs Oblique Seville, with the three men setting new standards for what it means to be fast in the post-Usain Bolt era.

The men's 100 metres has entered a period of golden competition, with each of these three sprinters capable of producing world-leading performances.

Following Oblique Seville's stunning victory at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, the furore has been escalated — who really is the fastest among the three?

Seville's gold medal-winning 9.77-second effort not just crowned him a world champion, but also brought him into the all-time top 10 performers.

Kishane Thompson, with his blistering 9.75 back in February, remains this year's fastest man. Olympic champion Noah Lyles claimed bronze in a season's best 9.89 and remains capable of challenging at the next world championships.

To figure out who is fastest, we have to look at each runner's form, reliability, and their ability to perform when the pressure is on.

Oblique Seville's rise to the top of sprinting prominence has been one of endurance, fortitude, and spot-on timing.

Still just 24, he has matured into the complete package: explosive start, smooth drive phase, and now the finishing strength to fend off the fastest men in the final metres. His 9.77-second triumph in Tokyo was a personal best, as well as a race that placed him in a tie for 10th all-time. For a man who had been pronounced toast after finishing last in the Olympic final the previous year, this was the ultimate comeuppance.

What makes Seville's rise in Seville so fascinating is that he is able to conquer hardship. At the 2025 World Championships, he nearly trailed behind in the heats following a disastrous start.

But by the semifinals, he had smoothed out his technique, looked calm under fire, and showed the world that he was about to strike.

In the final, Seville started like a thunderbolt, established a big gap immediately, and never lost sight of the lead. His finishing 30 metres — previously a liability — is now a strength, and his cool under pressure in front of a baying crowd that included Usain Bolt demonstrated that he has conquered the psychological aspect of top-level sprinting.

Seville's performance also served to recapture Jamaica's dominance of the 100 metres, courtesy of a 1-2 finish reminiscent of the Bolt and Blake days. For Seville, this was not only a gold medal but a declaration that he was among the conversation for the world's fastest man title.

If he continues to fine-tune his start and stay healthy, his 9.77 could be only the beginning of something even faster.

Kishane Thompson has been touted as Jamaica's next sprint star for all the right reasons.

At only 24 years of age, he already has the world's quickest 100m time in the decade with 9.75. While he came up one step short of gold in Tokyo, his silver medal performance with 9.82 cemented his position as one of the world's most consistent sub-9.80 men.

In fact, his results score of 1294 currently leads the trio, suggesting that over the past year, Thompson has had the strongest all-around season.

What sets Thompson apart is his sheer efficiency. His start is technically sound, his transition into top speed is seamless, and his maintenance phase is arguably the best in the world.

While he was beaten by a fraction by Seville in Tokyo, Thompson had been the one to beat entering the championships, having had a phenomenal 9.75 effort at the National Stadium in Kingston this year.

Thompson's challenge in the future will be to translate his season-best efforts into sizeable championship titles.

Already twice he has been satisfied with silver — initially in the Olympic final by a mere five thousandths of a second to Lyles, and now again in the world championship final to Seville. If he can one way or another dig deep and find his Kingston-level effort on the very biggest stage of all, scarce doubt remains that he might depart with gold and perhaps even threaten Bolt's legendary 9.58 in time to come.

Noah Lyles remains one of the most compelling personalities in sports and one of the most formidable competitors on the track.

Though his own personal best of 9.79 trails Thompson and Seville purely for speed, Lyles remains an Olympic gold medallist and pressure athlete supreme. Tokyo bronze (9.89) was a best for the season after a campaign opened up hampered by injury, and it speaks volumes for his competitive drive.

Lyles' strongest asset has ever been his closing speed and ability over the last 40 meters of a race. At Tokyo, however, he could not catch up with the Jamaicans as he has so many times before.

However, his trademark grin overstepping the line told everything — he thinks he is still in the fight, and with a healthy full season to come, he could quite possibly be back on top of the podium. Lyles is also targeting his fourth straight world championship in the 200 metres, the race where he is nearly unbeatable.

Although his 100m result score of 1280 betters Thompson and Seville, Lyles' combination of championship pedigrees, mental toughness, and reputation for delivering in tight spots places him on the list of annual threats.

With the world of athletics fast approaching the next Olympic era, no conversation about the world's fastest man can be had without mentioning Noah Lyles — the person who has already proven that he can beat both Jamaicans when it mattered most.

Balancing the facts, it is clear that it is not an easy answer to Noah Lyles vs Kishane Thompson vs Oblique Seville — Who's the Fastest? Both sides have a compelling argument.

Thompson has the fastest time among the three at 9.75 and leads the results count. Seville is the reigning world champion with the psychological edge of beating both rivals head-to-head in Tokyo. Lyles is the reigning Olympic champion with the proven ability to rise to life when the lights are at their most intense.

Seville is at present the man to beat, but Thompson's consistency and championship caliber of Lyles ensure this fight is hardly over yet.

All three are still mid-20s, so the next few years might witness even faster times and even more epic battles.

If Seville can dip below 9.77, Thompson can showcase his Kingston form on the world stage, and Lyles can get fully fit, then we might yet get a race that gets close to breaking Bolt's 9.58 world record.