It was an unforgettable night of spectacle and drama at the Stade de France. American sprinter Noah Lyles has cemented his place in history as the fastest man in the world. The American sprinter delivered the race of his life to claim the men’s 100m title at the Paris 2024 Olympics, winning in a breathtaking photo finish.
Lyles, the reigning world champion, crossed the finish line in 9.784 seconds, narrowly edging out Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson by a mere five-thousandths of a second. Thompson finished in 9.789 seconds, while the USA’s Fred Kerley took bronze with a time of 9.81 seconds.
Reflecting on the intense finish, Lyles shared with Eurosport, “I went up to Kishane and I was like, ‘I’m gonna be honest, I think you had that one’. I was fully prepared to see his name pop up, and to see my name pop, I’m like, ‘goodness gracious, I’m incredible’.”
Despite being the reigning world champion in both the 100m and 200m, Lyles was not the fastest man entering the race. That honor belonged to Thompson, who had clocked 9.77 seconds at the Jamaican trials, a time faster than Lyles’ personal best. But on this night, Lyles’ sheer speed and unwavering determination propelled him to a spectacular victory. Thompson, competing in his first Olympics, put up a valiant fight but was left contemplating how close he came to gold.
“Honestly it’s not just that I didn’t win the gold, it’s that I didn’t better myself in that sense,” a disappointed Thompson said after the final. “Today I really gained a lot of experience running with all these great competitors. Big up to all of them. But I really beat myself today in that I didn’t trust myself and my speed to bring myself to the line in first place.”
Lyles Claims the Crown: A Heart-Stopping Photo Finish
The 100m final was a spectacle even before the race began. A mesmerizing light show transformed the stadium into a sea of multi-colored fireflies, followed by a DJ energizing the crowd with electronic music as the athletes prepared at the start line. The atmosphere was electric, and if anyone could match the energy, it was Lyles, a showman known for his ability to perform under pressure.
“When I saw my name [on the scoreboard], I was like, I didn’t do this against a slow field,” Lyles remarked in a press conference after the race. “I did this against the best of the best on the biggest stage with the biggest pressure.”
While many athletes might crumble under such intense pressure, Lyles thrives in it. He has consistently demonstrated his ability to rise to the occasion, but never more so than on this night.
“I wouldn’t say I’m nervous,” Lyles explained. “I’d say I was extremely curious as to what was going to happen… I’m curious as to what I’m going to do, how I’m going to pull this off. Because I came in third-fastest from the semis and I’m like, ‘This is going to be serious, this is not going to be easy.’”
In the end, it was not easy, but Lyles emerged victorious, earning the right to call himself the fastest man on the planet. His victory, achieved by the slimmest of margins, was a testament to both his exceptional talent and indomitable spirit.
