In a thrilling photo finish in Paris 2024, American sprint sensation Noah Lyles defeated Jamaican Kishane Thompson by a mere five thousandths of a second to win the Olympic 100-meter gold.
In the second part of the race, Showman Lyles overtook his competitors and won by the narrowest of margins in a personal best 9.79 seconds.
Thompson, an Olympic rookie, led the majority of the race at that same moment, but Lyles’s thrilling finish helped launch his successful campaign for up to four gold medals at these Games.
Fred Kerley, a former world champion from the United States, won bronze in 9.81, just ahead of Akani Simbine of South Africa on the podium.
Following an extended wait behind the starting line amid a tumultuous environment at Stade de France with dramatic music playing, all eight finalists completed the race within 0.12 seconds of Lyles in an incredible performance.
The final was of such high caliber that Italy’s incumbent champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs was run out of medals, and another emerging star from Jamaica, Oblique Seville, finished last in 9.91. Zharnel Hughes and Louie Hinchliffe of Great Britain were unable to make it to the final.
Ultimately, Lyles—an athlete who excels on the biggest stages of the sport and took home three golds at the World Championships last year—was the one who dashed out in joy as soon as the official score was displayed on the big screen.
After establishing himself as the best in the sport, the 27-year-old frequently rang the victory bell by the side of the track. He now hopes to win more medals in the 200m and relay events.
“You couldn’t have asked for a bigger moment,” Lyles, who was seventh at the halfway stage, told BBC Sport.
“I had to take every round as it was and I was a little upset after the first round, so I came with the aggression and… I ran 9.83 [in the semi-final].
“I hope you guys like Noah because I’ve got a lot more coming!”
