Outlook Sports Desk
On Sunday at the Paris Olympics, Noah Lyles ended a 20-year drought for Team USA in the men’s 100-meter final with a dramatic photo finish, crossing the line just 0.784 seconds ahead.
Among all the events, this one was truly exceptional, as all eight finalists finished within just 0.12 second of each other. Remarkably, even the last-placed runner, Jamaican Oblique Seville, crossed the line in 9.91 seconds—a time that would have earned him fourth place at the Tokyo Games 2020.
Noah Lyles clinched the gold medal with a time of 9.79 seconds. Jamaican Kishane Thompson and American Fred Kerley took the silver and bronze, finishing with times of 9.79 seconds and 9.81 seconds, respectively.
For the first time, all eight men had run under 10 seconds, making it the fastest race in history.
Even after the race was completed, fans had to wait for the official result on the big screen to know that it is Lyles, the gold winner.
The 27-year-old of United States reached his peak speed of 43.6 kilometers per hour at the 60-meter mark, entering the medal contention. And then he outpaced all his competitors in the final stretch, clinching the gold with a decisive final stride.
Earlier in the race, Jamaica's Kishane Thompson, who boast the fastest personal best of 9.77 seconds was a top contender for gold, maintaining the lead from 30 meters until just 10 meters from the finish line.
Showcasing one of the Games' most thrilling showdowns, Lyles broke Jamaica's long-standing dominance in the event. Nevertheless, Usain Bolt still holds the Olympic 100m record of 9.63 seconds, set in 2012, and the world record of 9.58 seconds, established in 2009.
Noah Lyles (USA): 9.79 (.784)
Kishane Thompson (Jamaica): 9.79 (.789)
Fred Kerley (USA): 9.81
Akani Simbine (South Africa): 9.82
Lamont Marcell Jacobs (Italy): 9.85
Letsile Tebogo (Botswana): 9.86
Kenneth Bednarek (USA): 9.88
Oblique Seville (Jamaica): 9.91