Noah Lyles, the reigning world champion, delivered a thrilling performance to win the gold medal in the men’s Olympic 100m final in Paris, crossing the finish line in 9.79 seconds.
Lyles became the first American male to win the event since Justin Gatlin in the 2004 Athens Games.
In the most competitive final of all time, there was a blanket finish, with the stadium scoreboard initially displaying a photo to separate the first seven athletes. Lyles initially believed he had lost.
He was then confirmed as the winner with a personal best of 9.79 seconds, the same time as Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson, but ahead by the width of a vest.
“It’s the one I wanted. It’s the hard battle, it’s the amazing opponents,” said Lyles, the first American Olympic 100m champion since Justin Gatlin in 2004.
“Everybody came prepared for the fight, and I wanted to prove that I’m the man among all of them. I’m the wolf among wolves.”
Lyles’ US teammate Fred Kerley took bronze in 9.81 seconds, just one-hundredth ahead of South Africa’s Akani Simbine, who timed 9.82 seconds.
Defending champion Marcell Jacobs of Italy was fifth in 9.85 seconds, Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo sixth in 9.86 seconds, American Kenny Bednarek seventh in 9.88 seconds, and Jamaica’s Oblique Seville eighth in 9.91 seconds.
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