Noah Lyles made history at the Stade de France, crossing the finish line first in the 100-meter sprint finals with a time of 9.79. His career-best performance ensured that he finished 0.005 seconds ahead of Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson to win the 100-meter Olympic title.
Aside from earning the gold medal, the American returned the accolade to the United States 20 years after Justin Gatlin won it at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Fred Kerley took bronze with a 9.81, and Team USA’s double podium was an amazing moment for Americans all over the world who dedicated their time and attention to the competition.
GOLD for Noah Lyles in the men’s 100m at the #Paris2024 Olympics!!
He stormed to a new PB of 9.79s (+1.0) to take the title, becoming the first American to win in 20 years!
Kishane Thompson was 2nd also in 9.79s by 0.005s, while Fred Kerley was 3rd in 9.81s. pic.twitter.com/PLNFCWXpU1
— Track & Field Gazette (@TrackGazette) August 4, 2024
The 100-meter grid for the finals was confirmed following the semi-final heat 3, which included the top eight athletes with the fastest timings across all heats. Everyone on the track had an impressive resume, but they were all vying for the dazzling gold medal, which was being defended by Lamont Marcell Jacobs.
Kerley had the fastest response time when the finals started, but the American was quickly overtaken by Thompson, who claimed the lead. The Jamaican prodigy maintained his form, but as they approached the final few meters of the race, everyone in the front row was uncomfortably close to one another.
However, the fans at the Stade de France witnessed both the Jamaican prodigy and the six-time world champion cross the finish line in the exact same time, 9.79 seconds.
Both athletes were watching the huge screen, waiting for the final verdict, and Lyles defeated his young Jamaican rival by five-thousandths of a second to become the 100-meter Olympic champion.
Emotions were running high for the Olympic gold medalist, who redeemed himself after his bronze medal finish at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago. This accomplishment was a significant milestone in Lyles’ excellent athletic career, but his focus had already switched entirely to the 200-meter sprint.
Lyles’ next challenge at the Stade de France
Lyles has already silenced many skeptics and naysayers who questioned his performance in the 100-meter Olympic event. However, his objectives at the Paris Olympics are far from finished, as the athlete has set his sights on the 200-meter sprint.
The heats for the category begin in a few hours, and he will compete in Heat 6. The 27-year-old is already a favorite in the 200 meters, but he understands that his major goal of winning gold medals in all categories in which he competes is still a work in progress.
