In a photograph end now seared into Olympic historical past, Noah Lyles retained the title of world’s quickest man on Sunday.

Lyles edged previous Jamaican Kishane Thompson to win his first Olympic gold medal in a lifetime greatest 9.784 seconds. Lyles crossed the end line simply 5 thousandths of a second forward of Thompson, who posted a time of 9.789. The end result wasn’t clear till almost a full minute after the tip of the race, because the rivals waited nervously for the small print of their picture end.

When the end result lastly flashed on the Stade de France videoboard, Lyles’ eyes bulged. He screamed jubilantly. He was a gold medalist. Thompson took silver, and American Fred Kerley claimed bronze, Kerley’s second profession Olympic medal within the 100m.

Photograph end within the males’s 100m remaining on the Paris Olympic Video games.

World Athletics

FULL RESULTS

Lyles is the primary American man to win 100m gold since Justin Gatlin on the 2004 Athens Video games. For Lyles, the triumph completes a monumental turnaround after ending seventh within the 100m at U.S. Trials in 2021. He is now the highest 100m runner on Earth for the second yr in a row.

“It’s been a rollercoaster,” Lyles mentioned moments after profitable gold. “Within the 100m, it’s my first time right here on the Olympic stage. You solely want one. So long as that’s the final one, that’s all that issues.”

Within the ultra-tight race, Lyles was truly in final place after 30 meters. He roared again however nonetheless trailed Thompson by .01 seconds after 90 meters. However the brand new Olympic champion drew from his reserves to storm forward and win by a hair within the remaining step.

After taking silver, Thompson instructed reporters in his media session that Lyles turned to him instantly after the end and mentioned, “Hey Kishane, I believe you bought it executed.”

Seems, Lyles’ intuition was flawed. Thompson’s foot appeared to cross the end line earlier than any of Lyles’ ft, however that is irrelevant. Olympic guidelines stipulate that the primary athlete whose torso — not a foot, not the pinnacle — reaches the end line is asserted the winner. On Sunday, that was Lyles.

An image tells a thousand phrases, and the one phrase that mattered on Sunday night time for Lyles was gold.

“I wasn’t affected person sufficient with myself to let my velocity convey me on the line,” Thompson continued. “I do know that Jamaica would have wished me to get the gold. Everyone loves winners. I might have cherished to win in the present day, however massive as much as the entire subject.”

Three hundredths of a second behind Lyles on the line was his U.S. teammate Kerley, who has come again to the Olympic podium after his disappointing failure to qualify for the 100m remaining at 2023 Worlds. Kerley vowed after that shortcoming to lock in on his coaching, vitamin and mindset. He promised to show himself again right into a high contender. On Sunday night time in Paris, he did.

“I really feel that I executed as greatest as I may,” Kerley mentioned. “I got here right here for the gold and nothing else however, hey, all people got here right here for a similar factor, and just one can win.

“I don’t really feel frustration, as a result of I’m going through the very best on this planet. On the finish of the day, not many individuals can say they got here to the Olympic Video games. Whoever got here off the very best is the very best. It’s my second time round, and I’m going off with a medal.”

However this night time, this race, these 9.784 seconds, have been about Lyles: Olympic champion, ultimately.