World champion Noah Lyles roared to victory in 9.79 seconds to claim gold in a dramatic men's Olympic 100m final in Paris on Sunday. Lyles won in the closest Olympic 100m finish in modern history, with just five thousandths of a second separating him from Jamaica's Kishane Thompson. Both were credited with the rounded-up time of 9.79 seconds, but the American's name carried the all-important (.784) to Thompson's (.789.) It made Lyles the first American, male or female, to win the event since Justin Gatlin won gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
“It's the one I wanted,” said Lyles, whose winning time was a personal best. “It's the tough competition, it's the great opponents.
“Everyone is healthy, everyone was prepared for the fight and I wanted to prove that I am the man among them. I am the wolf among wolves.”
Lyles' victory was only confirmed after a photo finish.
The American said of waiting for the final result: “I went to Kishane and said, 'I'll be honest, bro, I think you had it.
“And I was totally prepared to see his name pop up and to see my name pop up, I was like, oh my gosh. I'm incredible.”
Lyles added: “It's been a rollercoaster ride, with highs and lows.
“Normally I'm someone who likes to start all my rounds with a bang, especially the 200m. But the 100m, that's my first time here on the Olympic podium.”
A huge achievement for Noah Lyles who wins gold for team USA in the men's 100m final! Noah is traditionally a 200m runner and he has just won in the 100m.
In the Netflix docuseries Sprint, Noah joked to his mother, saying, “The 200 is my wife and the 100 is my mistress.”
Can not… photo.twitter.com/OXk3zyT5YE
—Jordan Karr (@JordanLkarr) August 4, 2024
– Not 'fresh enough' –
The relatively unknown Thompson, the fastest man this year with a best time of 9.77 seconds, said he was not “fresh enough” in the last 30 meters.
“I couldn't really see Lyles, I wasn't sure,” Thompson, 23, said of the photo finish. “It was so close.
“I'm going to take it and go from here,” he said. “Everyone loves a winner, so I would have liked to win today, but I thought the competition was great overall.”
Lyles' American teammate Fred Kerley took bronze in 9.81 seconds, just a hundredth faster than South African Akani Simbine, who clocked 9.82 seconds.
“I don't feel any frustration because I'm playing against the best in the world,” said Kerley, the 2022 world champion and silver medalist in the 100 meters at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago.
“At the end of the day, not many people can say they went to the Olympics,” Kerley said. “Whoever's the best is the best. It's my second time and I'm coming away with a medal.”
In a stunning race, reigning champion Marcell Jacobs of Italy was fifth in 9.85 seconds, Botswana's Letsile Tebogo sixth in 9.86 seconds, American Kenny Bednarek seventh in 9.88 seconds and Jamaica's Oblique Seville eighth in 9.91 seconds.
Lyles started on lane seven, outside Seville and inside Tebogo. He had an average start but quickly got into the swing of things.
The American kept his head down until the 40-meter line and opened his attack, but the entire field pushed him to the end.
As Lyles walked to the finish line, with Thompson at his side, the crowd erupted and a photo finish was called before Lyles was confirmed as the gold medalist.
– Tension building –
There was an electric atmosphere before the race at the Stade de France, a stadium with a capacity of 69,000 spectators. A light show and loud music entertained the crowd as the sprinters adjusted their starting blocks.
Then the lights went out and the sprinters left the track to make their appearance as prize fighters in a coliseum. Each sprinter was presented individually behind a picture of his name above his flag.
Thompson roared, his hands clenched into fists as his head rolled back. Kerley tapped his heart.
Lyles jumped out like a kangaroo, bouncing 20 yards down the track. Jacobs was the definition of cool, raising both arms and calmly walking to his blocks.
Then came the moment when the sprinters prepared themselves, at the command of the start.
The wait seemed endless. The music continued, the crowd clapped in unison, then the sprinters stood in their lanes, swaying from foot to foot, the tension palpable, while the only sound was that of a helicopter buzzing overhead.
The shot rang out and the field rocketed up the purple track to the dramatic finish.
The photo-finish officials reviewed the evidence and Lyles walked away with gold, having quickly dismissed the demons of the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, where he had only taken bronze in the 200 meters.
When asked if he was confident he could win the 200 meters, an event in which he is a three-time world champion, Lyles didn't hesitate for a moment.
“100 percent,” he said. “That's my better event and now that I have a new PR in the 100, I'm ready to take it to the 200.”
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