(Budapest) Jamaican Oblique Seville set the fastest time in the 100m heats, in 9.86s, equaling a personal best, ahead of American Noah Lyles, reigning Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs narrowly passing the cut, at the Championships athletics world championship in Budapest on Saturday.

Outgoing world champion, American Fred Kerley, clocked the sixth fastest time in the heats in 9.99s.

Among the many contenders for the rare open podium in the queen race, Lyles won his series in 9.95 s ahead of the Kenyan Ferdinand Omanyala (997), the South African Akani Simbine his in 9.97 s ahead of the American Christian Coleman (9.98 s), and Briton Zharnel Hughes, holder of the best world performance of the season (9.85 s), the first in 10 seconds flat.

Arriving in the Hungarian capital with only one 100m on the clock since the start of the season, the fault of back pain, Jacobs took the third and last qualifying place in his series, in 10.15 s.

The semi-finals are scheduled for Sunday at 4:35 p.m., the final at 7:10 p.m.

” I am very surprised. I did not expect it at all in the playoffs, Seville was surprised. But running this time gives me a lot of confidence for the future. […] I know I can compete with these guys. The Americans, I think we can scare them. »

“It was just the warm-up, it’s far from over,” Lyles challenged. I will run each lap in under ten seconds, and go faster and faster. The final will be won in whatever time I set. »

Crevont Charleston, who had surprised by winning the title of United States champion in the “trials” at the beginning of July, did not cross the milestone of the playoffs (10.18 s).