Noah Lyles won 100m gold by the narrowest of margins as he beat Kishane Thompson in a thrilling 100m final at the Paris Olympics. Lyles took gold by just 5,000ths of a second in one of the closest Olympic finishes ever , becoming the first American to win the prestigious race since Justin Gatlin back in 2004.
The marquee event of the Olympic games threw up what many are already calling the greatest race of all time. The finish between Lyles and Thompson was the closest in the event in 44 years, but the competitiveness of the entire field meant just 0.03 seconds was the difference between gold and no medal at all, with just 0.12 seconds separating first and last.
It took a personal best time from Lyles to take the gold as he backed up his pre-Olympics confidence. However, even that incredible 9.79s time was barely enough to beat Jamaican sensation Thompson, with nothing to separate the two by the naked eye as they crossed the line.
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Thompson originally celebrated thinking he had won. But it was soon determined Lyles had crossed the line first after a photo finish, getting his bid for a 100m and 200m double off to a perfect start. He will now go for gold in the longer event, with the final due to take place at 2:30 p.m E.T. on Thursday (Aug. 8).
There was an electric atmosphere in Paris and Lyles was pumped up as he made his way to the track amid huge noise and a spectacular light show. But the arena soon fell silent in anticipation as the athletes prepared to set off.
Lyles, starting in lane 7, got off to a slow start and was not even in the medal placings before a stunning final 10 metres saw him surge into the lead. Fellow American Fred Kerley emerged with the bronze medal in a time of 9.81 seconds.
Lyles screamed "I told you" after his victory as he ran around the purple Paris track in celebration. He then shared an emotional embrace with his mother, who was in tears in the crowd after witnessing her son make history.
Speaking to BBC Sport after the race, Lyles said: "You couldn't have asked for a bigger moment. A guy in biomechanics comes down and before I came out here, he said it was going to be this much, that's how close it is going to be and gosh was he right.
"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 after I ran that 83 and I was done with the aggression. My sports therapist told me you need to let go, you're holding on. Let go and release it."
Entering the final, the standards had never been higher with all eight qualifiers running under 10 seconds. Great Britain's Louie Hinchliffe had the unwanted designation of being the first man to fail to qualify for the Olympic final after running a sub-10 second time. That standard continued in what is arguably the greatest 100m final in history
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Jamaican duo Thompson and Oblique Seville set the pace in the semi-finals, narrowly beating Kerley and Lyles respectively in two tight races as just 0.04 seconds separated all four front-runners. Lyles and Kerley were joined by fellow American Kenny Bednarek in the final.
Lyles entered the event as favorite after he stole the show at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest. He won the 100m gold as well as coming out on top in his favored 200m and the 4x100m relay.
However, his Olympic bid got off to a shaky start as he had to settle for second place in the heats on Saturday. After being beaten by Great Britain's Louie Hinchliffe, Lyles admitted to the Associated Press: "These boys said they were coming to play.
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"That’s my first lesson in underestimating the power of the Olympics. When somebody’s on the line, they’re going to give it their all or nothing. But now I don’t have to hold back. I’m ready to go.
"I downplayed my competitors for sure. I was like, ‘There’s no reason to really put any emphasis on it.’ But these guys proved to me that they’re ready to compete. I said, ‘All right, I can’t do that anymore.’ I promise that will not happen again."
24 hours later, he finished second in his semifinal, this time ahead of Hinchliffe and just 0.02 seconds behind Seville. Lyles clocked a 9.83s time in that race.
Kerley breezed into the final along with Thompson, who ran a 9.80s time after catching the eye with his 9.77 person best in the Jamaica Olympic trials in June.
Reigning champion Marcell Jacobs was made to sweat but his third-placed time of 9.92s from his semifinal was just enough to see him into the final along with America's Bednarek.
Lyles entered the Olympics with plenty of confidence, and has his sights set on achieving big things in the 200m, where he is eyeing Usain Bolt's world record of 19.19 seconds. Speaking ahead of the Games, Lyles told the Daily Mail: "I am in the best shape of my life. I am seeing times in training I don't usually see. In the 100m, the American record is constantly on my mind. In the 200m, 19.10 is definitely the goal.
"In the indoor season, I improved my 60m time by 1.02 per cent. If I add that on to the 100m, I should break the record. And if I add that to the 200m, I should run 19.10."
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