World champion Noah Lyles roared to victory in 9.79sec to claim gold in a dramatic men’s Olympic 100m final in Paris on Sunday.
Lyles won in the closest Olympic 100m finish in modern history — just five thousandths of a second separated him from Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson who clocked the same time of 9.79sec.
It made Lyles the first American, male or female, to win the event since Justin Gatlin took gold in the 2004 Athens Games.
“It’s the one I wanted,” said Lyles. “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’ victory was only confirmed after a photo-finish.
The American said of the wait for the final results: “I went up to Kishane and I was like, ‘I’m going to be honest, bro, I think you had that one’.
“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.”
Lyles’ US teammate Fred Kerley took bronze in 9.81sec, just one-hundredth ahead of South African Akani Simbine, who timed 9.82sec.
In an astonishing race, defending champion Marcell Jacobs of Italy was fifth in 9.85sec, Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo sixth in 9.86sec, American Kenny Bednarek seventh in 9.88sec and Jamaican Oblique Seville eighth in 9.91sec.
Starting in lane seven, outside Seville and inside Tebogo, Lyles got off to an average start but was soon into his stride pattern.
Head tucked down through to the 40-metre mark, the American opened up, but the whole field pushed him all the way.
As Lyles dipped for the line with Thompson charging alongside him, the crowd erupted and a photo-finish was called before Lyles was confirmed as gold medallist.
There was an electric pre-race atmosphere in a 69,000-capacity Stade de France, a light show and booming music keeping the crowd entertained as the sprinters made the final adjustments to their starting blocks.
– Tense buildup –
The lights were then shut off, the sprinters leaving the track to remake their entrance like prize fighters in a colosseum.
Each sprinter was individually introduced behind an image of their name above their flag.
Thompson roared, hands clenched in fists as his head rolled back. Kerley patted his heart.
Lyles bounded out like a kangaroo, bouncing 20 metres down the track. Jacobs was the definition of cool, raising both arms and calmly walking to his blocks.
Then came the moment where the sprinters set, at the starter’s beck and call.
The wait seemed interminable. The music continued, the crowd clapped in unison as if to hurry the starter, then the sprinters stood in their lanes, rocking from foot to foot and the tension was palpable.
The cameras panned one more and then it was time, the only sound that of a helicopter’s wings whirring overhead.
The shot was fired and the field moved as if one up the purple track.
The photo-finish officials examined the evidence and Lyles walked away with gold to bury the demons of the Tokyo Olympics three years ago where he harvested a mere 200m bronze.
Asked whether he was confident of doubling up in the 200m, an event in which he is a three-time world champion, Lyles was in no doubt.
“100 percent,” he said. “That’s my better event and now that I’ve got a new PR in the 100, I’m ready to take it to the 200.”
