At the 2024 Paris Olympics, American sprinter Noah Lyles captured the men’s 100m gold medal with a blistering time of 9.79 seconds.
The victory marked the first time an American, either male or female, has won this event since Justin Gatlin’s win in the 2004 Athens Games.
In a thrilling photo finish, Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson narrowly missed the top spot by just five-thousandths of a second, securing silver. Lyles’ teammate, Fred Kerley, clinched the bronze with a time of 9.81 seconds, edging out South Africa’s Akani Simbine by just one-hundredth of a second.
The race unfolded dramatically under the lights of the Stade de France, filled to its 69,000 capacity. An electric atmosphere prevailed, enhanced by a dazzling light show and bass-heavy music that energized the crowd. Each sprinter made a dramatic entrance, reminiscent of prizefighters, with organizers displaying their names and flags overhead.
Starting in lane seven, Lyles began modestly but quickly found his rhythm. The intense competition challenged him throughout the race.
The crowd erupted as he and Thompson sprinted neck-and-neck toward the finish line, eagerly anticipating the photo-finish verdict. In the end, officials declared Lyles the gold medalist, marking a significant redemption from his bronze medal finish in the 200m at the Tokyo Games.
