Joe McConnell
American sprinter Noah Lyles won the men’s 100m title at the 2024 Paris Olympics by the slimmest of margins in a spectacular photo finish.
The 27-year-old won gold ahead of Jamaica by Kishane Thompson by just five thousandths of a second, as both sprinters finished with a time of 9.79 seconds at the Stade de France.
Lyles’ official time was 9.784 with Thompson finishing with a time of 9.789, while the USA’s Fred Kerley He won bronze with a time of 9.81 seconds.
World sprint champion Lyles, who won gold in the 100 and 200 metres in Budapest last year, beat his chest on the start line and cheered on the crowd, but, along with Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, started the slowest, with a reaction time of 0.178.
But he recovered in spectacular fashion, narrowly beating Olympic debutant Thompson, who had led for most of the race.
Lyles’ stunning victory marks the beginning of his quest to win four gold medals in Paris, with the 200 meters and the relay.
The reigning champion of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Italy Lamont Marcel JacobsHe finished fifth with just 0.12 seconds difference among the eight finalists.
Previously, Team GB sprinters Louis Hinchliffe AND Zharnel Hughes saw their bid for Olympic gold in the 100 metres come to an end in the semi-finals.
Lyles feared he had missed the photo finish
Lyles continues to celebrate his success
Lyles, who became the first American Olympic champion in the 100 meters since Justin Gatlin in Athens in 2004, revealed he thought Thompson had beaten him in a photo finish.
Lyles said: “I knew when it came time to say, ‘This is the final, this is where I have to put the pieces together,’ I would do it.
“I thought [Thompson] I had it at the end. I went up to him afterwards, while we were waiting, and I was also like, “I think you did it, well done,” and then my name came up and I was like, “Oh my God, I’m incredible.”
“I’ll be honest, I wasn’t ready to see it. [his name] and this is the first time I’m saying this. I wasn’t ready to see it.
“He was several lanes back, he was in four, I was in seven, so it was hard for me to imagine where we were.”
In Pictures: How Lyles Got a Spectacular Victory
Lyles (left) crosses the finish line in the men’s 100m final
Lyles (bottom) is a hair ahead of the line
Lyles had to wait nervously after arriving for confirmation of his victory
Lyles celebrates his victory
Alfred di Santa Lucia crowned women’s 100m champion on Saturday
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Vscek News’ Miriam Walker-Khan reflects on the women’s 100m after Julien Alfred became the first Saint Lucian to win gold and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce withdrew
On Saturday, Julien Alfred of Saint Lucia won gold in the women’s 100 meters.
Alfred crossed the finish line in 10.72 seconds in the pouring rain at the Stade de France, ahead of U.S. world champion Sha’Carri Richardson in second and Melissa Jefferson in third.
Britain’s Daryll Neita had to reflect on a “super tough” night after missing out on his first individual Olympic medal by four hundredths of a second behind Jefferson.
Neita finished just shy of the finish line in 10.96, one hundredth of a second ahead of American Twanisha Terry in a photo finish.
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