Noah Lyles of the United States secured a dramatic victory in the Olympic 100 meters on Sunday, winning by just 0.005 seconds over Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson. The tense race concluded with Lyles anxiously waiting 30 seconds after crossing the finish line to confirm his win. This is the first gold for the U.S.A in Olympics for about two decades.
As the competitors sprinted to the finish, the scoreboard displayed the word “Photo,” indicating the closeness of the race. Lyles, exhausted, draped his hands over his head as he awaited the final results. The times were eventually displayed, revealing Lyles’ victory with a time of 9.784 seconds, narrowly edging out Thompson.
In a competitive field, America’s Fred Kerley secured third place with a time of 9.81 seconds, while defending champion Marcell Jacobs finished in fifth place.
In the semifinals of the Olympic 100 meters, Noah Lyles finished behind Jamaica’s Oblique Seville, who outpaced him in the earlier race. Despite this, Lyles advanced to the final, setting up a rematch in the evening’s gold-medal race.
Seville has consistently challenged Lyles this season, now holding a 2-0 advantage in their head-to-head matchups after finishing the semifinal in 9.81 seconds, just 0.02 seconds ahead of Lyles.
During the semifinal, Seville had a strong start, which gave him an edge over Lyles. The American worked hard to regain ground over the last 40 meters but ultimately couldn’t close the gap entirely. Lyles also experienced a setback in the earlier rounds, losing his preliminary heat to Britain’s Louie Hinchliffe, who clocked an impressive time. Unfortunately, Hinchliffe did not advance to the final.
Joining Lyles and Thompson in the highly anticipated final was Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson, who recorded a semifinal time of 9.80 seconds, the fastest among the three heats. Thompson has also recorded the second-best time this year at 9.77 seconds, and he, along with Seville, are among the top contenders challenging for the Olympic podium.
Noah Lyles’ victory marks his first Olympic gold in the 100 meters, adding to his accolades and securing his position as one of the top sprinters in the world.
