Fans Protest Noah Lyles’ Gold Medal Due to Controversial Finish

USA sprinter Noah Lyles won his first-ever Olympic gold medal in dramatic fashion. In Sunday's men's 100m final at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Lyles came in first after a last-second lean towards the finish line.

Lyles beat out Jamaican sprinter Kishane Thompson by just five-thousandths of a second, one of the closest finishes fans will ever witness. The official record has Lyles and Thompson finishing with the same time of 9.79 seconds, but Lyles still picked up the win by a minuscule amount.

After the race, fans noticed that Thompson may have been robbed of gold. In a photo that is going viral on social media with over seven million views, Thompson's foot is clearly well over the finish line before Lyles is.

However, Lyles won because his torso was over the line before Thompson's. The official Olympic rules state that the first runner whose torso reaches the finish line wins the race.

Despite what the rule clearly states, fans still protested Lyles' gold medal, believing Thompson was more deserving of the win.

"KINDA SILLY THAT A FOOT RACE ISNT DECIDED BY FEET"

"This race should boycott because my good friend Noah Lyles did not win this race. Head, shoulder, and foot will let anyone win."

"So, what body part has to cross the line first? Because if it’s the foot, I haven’t seen a pic yet that has Noah Lyles ahead. Did buddy from Jamaica get robbed?"

"Noah Lyles crossed the finish line after the Jamaican’s foot crossed but apparently who actually crosses the line first physically doesn’t matter"

"Total robbery! Y’all know Noah Lyles did not win that race! Kishanes foot been over that line before Lyles head!"

This win gave Lyles his second Olympic medal ever, with his first coming in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where he won bronze in the 200m race. He will get to compete in that same event in Paris on Monday, August 5, where he will look for his second gold medal of the year.

Related: U.S. Sprinter Noah Lyles Loses Race After Taunting Opponent At Finish Line

Related: U.S. Olympic Legend Michael Johnson's Live Reaction To Noah Lyles' Win