Noah Lyles became the first American to clinch the Olympic gold in the men’s 100-metre in 20 years when he won the race in Paris by five-thousandths of a second.
Lyles, who won with a time of 9.784 seconds, finished barely ahead of Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson (who ran in 9.789) and the US’ Fred Kerley (whose time was 9.81).
“That’s probably one of the most beautiful races I’ve been in,” said Kerley.
I Told You America I Got This! #OlympicChampion pic.twitter.com/boBOZv3650
— Noah Lyles, OLY (@LylesNoah) August 4, 2024
Why Lyles won
In the photo finish, Kerley’s orange shoe crossed the line first. But it’s the chest breaking the barrier that counts. Lyles’ chest crossed first.
The race was so close that even the commentators nearly called the wrong winner before the photo finish, which showed Lyles was the first to lean over the finish line even though others managed to step over it before him.
According to Olympic rules, the first athlete whose torso reaches the closest edge of the finish line is the winner. That means the trunk of the body is what counts rather than the head, limbs or feet.
Closest 100m race since 1980 Moscow Olympics
It was the closest 100-metre final since at least Moscow in 1980. Great Britain’s Allan Wells won the gold in Moscow narrowly beating Cuba’s Silvio Leonard in 10.25 seconds in an era when timing didn’t go down to the thousandths of a second.
Lyles is the first American to win the 100 metres since Justin Gatlin in 2004.
Lyles’ only other Olympic medal is a bronze, which he earned in the 200-metre at the Tokyo Games three years ago.
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics 100-metre champion, Marcell Jacobs of Italy, finished fifth with a time of 9.85 seconds.
Thompson, the betting favourite, said, “I’m going to be disappointed, but I’m super happy and grateful at the same time. I just got to take it as what it is and just move forward from here.”
Photo finish
Thompson seemed to be leading for much of the race.
‘’Through 30 metres, Lyles, 27, was last. He still trailed with 10 metres remaining and did not lead until his final steps, kicking past Kishane Thompson of Jamaica, who held the fastest time in the world this year,” reported the New York Times.
The race was so close that when the sprinters crossed the line and the word “Photo” popped up next to the names of Lyles, Thompson and five others in the eight-man field, Lyles walked over to the Jamaican and said, “I think you got the Olympics dog.”
Thompson wasn’t convinced. “I was, ‘Wow, I’m not even sure, because it was that close,’” he said.
When Lyles’ name came up first, he snatched his name tag off the front of his bib and held it aloft. Then he shouted at the TV camera, “America, I told you I got this!”