Noah Lyles wins Olympic 100m Gold in thrilling photo finish

American sprinter Noah Lyles clinched the Olympic men’s 100m Gold medal in a nail-biting finish, edging out Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson by just five-thousandths of a second at the Paris 2024 Games.

Both athletes crossed the line in an identical time of 9.79 seconds, but Lyles’ spectacular second-half surge secured him the gold medal.

The race, held at Stade de France, was marked by intense competition and dramatic atmosphere. Lyles, known for his showmanship, completed a stunning comeback to overtake Thompson, who had led for most of the race. This victory is part of Lyles’ ambitious quest for up to four gold medals at these Olympics.

Fred Kerley of the United States took the bronze with a time of 9.81 seconds, narrowly beating South Africa’s Akani Simbine. The race was exceptionally close, with all eight finalists finishing within 0.12 seconds of Lyles.

The high-caliber final saw Italy’s reigning champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs fall out of the medals, and Jamaican rising star Oblique Seville finished last with a time of 9.91 seconds. Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes and Louie Hinchliffe also missed out on the final.

Lyles, who won three golds at last year’s World Championships, celebrated his victory by ringing the victory bell by the trackside. The 27-year-old is now set to focus on the 200m and relay events, aiming to add more medals to his collection.

Meanwhile, the 2024 Paris Olympic games men’s 100m final will be remembered not just for the photo finish, the race, held at Stade de France, witnessed the first time in Olympic history a sub-10 100m finalist:

9.80 @iamkishane
9.81 Oblique Seville
9.83 @LylesNoah
9.84 @fkerley99
9.87 @AkaniSimbine
9.91 Letsile Tebogo
9.92 @crazylongjumper
9.93 @kenny_bednarek