In a photo finish now seared into Olympic history, Noah Lyles backed up his talk: he’s the world’s fastest man. Lyles edged past Jamaican Kishane Thompson to win his first Olympic gold medal in a lifetime-best 9.784 seconds. Lyles crossed the finish line just five thousandths of a second ahead of Thompson, who posted a time of 9.789. The result wasn’t clear until nearly a full minute after the end of the race, as the competitors waited nervously for the details of their photo finish. When the result finally flashed on the Stade de France videoboard, Lyles’ eyes bulged. He screamed jubilantly. He was a gold medalist.
Thompson took silver, and American Fred Kerley claimed bronze, Kerley’s second career Olympic medal in the 100m. Lyles is the first American man to win 100m gold since Justin Gatlin at the 2004 Athens Games. For Lyles, the triumph completes a monumental turnaround after finishing seventh in the 100m at U.S. Trials in 2021. He’s now the top 100m runner on Earth for the second year in a row.
This was the tightest 100m final in global racing history — not just at the Olympics, but anywhere. When the race began, Lyles was actually in last place after 40 meters. He roared back but still trailed Thompson by .01 seconds after 90 meters. But the new Olympic champion drew from his reserves to launch himself forward in his final stride.
Turns out, Lyles’ instinct was wrong. Thompson’s foot appeared to cross the finish line before any of Lyles’ feet, but that’s irrelevant. Olympic rules stipulate that the first athlete whose torso — not a foot, not the head — reaches the finish line is declared the winner. On Sunday, that was Lyles.
A picture tells a thousand words, and the only word that mattered on Sunday night for Lyles was gold. For Thompson, it was silver, the first Olympic medal for a 23-year-old with more on the way, if all goes according to plan. The Jamaican’s star status has crystallized — he entered Paris as the 2024 world leader in the 100m.
Three hundredths of a second behind Lyles at the line was his U.S. teammate Kerley, who has come back to the Olympic podium after his disappointing failure to qualify for the 100m final at 2023 Worlds. Kerley vowed after that shortcoming to lock in on his training, nutrition, and mindset. He promised to turn himself back into a top contender. On Sunday night in Paris, he did. But this night, this race, those 9.784 seconds, were about Lyles: Olympic champion, at last.
As is custom with a megastar like Lyles, there’s more. In four days, he’ll vie to accomplish something just nine men in Olympic history have achieved: the 100m-200m double, winning both titles in the same Olympics. Lyles has stated his intention to become the 10th man to do it, and the first American since the legendary Carl Lewis in 1984. The 200m has long been Lyles’ best event, one he refers to as his “baby.”
With his 100m victory, Noah Lyles has cemented his legacy in the annals of track and field. The Stade de France bore witness to a historic race, a thrilling reminder of the razor-thin margins that define greatness on the Olympic stage.
