Noah Lyles snatched a photo-finish victory in the closest 100m final in modern Olympic history on Sunday to end the United States’ 20-year wait to recapture the world’s most prestigious sprinting crown.
In a nerve-shredding final at the Stade de France, Lyles, the charismatic 27-year-old from Florida, took gold by a fraction from Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson.
Lyles’ winning margin boiled down to just five thousandths of a second, with the American clocked at 9.784sec to Thompson’s 9.789sec, though both men’s times will be listed as 9.79sec.
It was the narrowest margin of victory since electronic timing has been used at the Olympics.
Lyles’ compatriot Fred Kerley took bronze in 9.81sec.
The race was so close that the electronic scoreboard in the arena simply read “photo” beside seven of the eight finalists.
After an agonising wait of several seconds, Lyles’ victory was confirmed, sparking wild celebrations from the reigning 100m and 200m world champion who is regarded as one of the global superstars as athletics.
“It’s the one I wanted,” an elated Lyles told Eurosport moments after his win.
“It’s the hard battle, it’s the amazing opponents. Everybody’s healthy, everybody came prepared for the fight and I wanted to prove that I’m the man amongst all of them. I’m the wolf amongst wolves.”
Lyles admitted though that even he had doubted whether he had clinched the gold.
“I went up to Kishane and I was like, ‘I’m gonna be honest, bro, I think you had that one,'” Lyles said.
“And I was fully prepared to see his name pop up and to see my name pop up, I’m like goodness gracious. I’m incredible.”
The win completes a rollercoaster three years for Lyles, who had left the pandemic-hit Tokyo Olympics in tears after a disappointing campaign, citing his mental health struggles and battles with depression.
The American is now targeting an Olympic double with victory in the 200m next week.
Ukraine medal rush
Lyles’ win was the sensational final act of another thrilling day in the Olympic athletics arena that saw three gold medals handed out.
In other action, Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh lived up to her pre-Paris Games billing to win the women’s high jump.
The world champion and world record holder managed a best of 2.00 metres to win on countback from Australia’s Nicola Olyslagers.
Another Australian, Eleanor Patterson, claimed joint bronze with another Ukrainian, Iryna Gerashchenko, both on 1.95m.
In the men’s hammer, Canadian world champion Ethan Katzberg won after unleashing a mammoth heave with his first throw to clinch the gold medal.
The 22-year-old from British Columbia registered 84.12m with his opening effort to leave his rivals trailing throughout the competition.
That was four metres further than his nearest rival, Hungary’s Bence Halasz, who took silver with a throw of 79.97m. Ukraine’s Mykhaylo Kokhan collected bronze with a throw of 79.39m.
Elsewhere Sunday, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Femke Bol eased through the opening round of the women’s 400m hurdles to remain on an Olympic collision course.
US star McLaughlin-Levrone, the reigning Olympic champion and world record holder, cruised through her heat to win in 53.60sec.
Bol meanwhile shrugged off the after-effects of her dazzling performance in Saturday’s 4x400m mixed relay to coast through her heat in a leading 53.38sec.
Another mouthwatering duel is looming in the women’s 800m, where Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson, a silver medallist in Tokyo three years ago, is poised for an epic battle with Kenya’s 2023 World Champion Mary Moraa on Monday.
Hodgkinson delivered an ice-cool performance to win her semi-final in 1min 56.86sec, the fastest time of the round. Moraa advanced after winning her heat in 1:57.86.
In the opening round of the men’s 400m, Britain’s Matt Hudson-Smith got his bid for gold off to a smooth start, winning his heat in 44.78sec.
US sprinter Michael Norman set the early first round pace however with the quickest time, a brisk 44.10sec. Norman’s US team-mate Quincy Hall was second-fastest with a time of 44.28sec.
