Noah Lyles Wins 100M Gold At Paris Olympics In A Photo Finish, First American Since 2004 To Win Sprint

On Sunday, Noah Lyles completed the first leg of his Olympic double with a breathtaking 100-meter victory in Paris.

Lyles defeated Jamacia’s Kishane Thompson by five one-thousandths of a second as a photo finish determined who won the race. American Fred Kerley took the bronze, losing by 0.02 seconds with a tie of 9.81.

After the race, Lyles took to Twitter with an inspiring message.

“I have Asthma, allergies, dyslexia, ADD, anxiety and depression. But I will tell you that what you have does not define what you can become. Why not you!”

Surprisingly, the Virginia native struggled in the preliminary rounds after winning the world championships in the 100 in 2023. He finished second in his first heat and gave reporters a quote for the ages.
“I downplayed my competitors for sure. I was like, ‘There’s no reason to really put any emphasis on it.’ But these guys proved to me that they’re ready to compete. I said, ‘All right, I can’t do that anymore.’ I promise that will not happen again.”

The next day, he came in second place during the semifinal and started in lane seven during the final.

Lyles started slow and was not in a medal position at the 50-meter mark. But he never panicked and pressed on the gas to create the most competitive 100-meter race in recent memory.

The Parisian crowd sat in nervous silence after the sprint ended, staring at the video board to find out the winner after judges examined the video record. Suddenly, Lyles took off his nameplate, held it to the sky, looked at the nearest camera, and shouted, “America, I told you!”

He became the first American man to win the 100 since Justin Gatlin took gold in 2004.

Lyles did not have a chance to rest on his laurels as 200-meter qualifying began Monday. He won his heat and is advancing to the semifinals tomorrow.