Olympics 2024 men's 100m final: USA's Noah Lyles wins gold in Paris after dramatic photo finish
USA's Noah Lyles wins men's 100m title at 2024 Olympic Games in Paris by just five-thousandths of a second ahead of Jamaica's Kishane Thompson; Lyles records time of 9.784 with Thompson running in 9.789; USA's Fred Kerley took bronze with a time of 9.81
Last Updated: 05/08/24 7:31am
USA sprinter Noah Lyles won the men's 100m title at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games by the smallest of margins in a dramatic photo finish.
The 27-year-old took gold ahead of Jamaica's Kishane Thompson by just five-thousandths of a second as both sprinters finished with a time of 9.79 seconds at the Stade de France.
Lyles' official time was 9.784 with Thompson finishing with a time of 9.789, while USA's Fred Kerley took bronze as he clocked 9.81 seconds.
- Olympics LIVE! Latest news and updates from Paris
- What's on in Paris? Schedule and Team GB medal hopes
- Olympic medal table [external site]
- Get Sky Sports | Stream Sky Sports on NOW
Men's 100m results
- 1. Noah Lyles (USA) - 9.784
- 2. Kishane Thompson (JAM) - 9.789
- 3. Fred Kerley (USA) - 9.81
- 4. Akani Simbine (RSA) - 9.82
World sprint champion Lyles, who claimed 100m and 200m gold last year in Budapest, thumped his chest at the start line and pumped up the crowd, but, alongside Botswana's Letsile Tebogo, got out to the slowest start with a 0.178 reaction time.
But he spectacularly recovered to narrowly edge out Olympic debutant Thompson, who had led for most of the race.
Lyles' remarkable victory begins his quest to win four gold medals in Paris with the 200m and relay events to come.
The defending champion from the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Italy's Lamont Marcell Jacobs, finished fifth with just 0.12 seconds separating the eight finalists.
Earlier, Team GB sprinters Louie Hinchliffe and Zharnel Hughes saw their bid for Olympic 100m gold come to an end in the semi-finals.
Lyles feared he had lost photo finish
Lyles, who became the first American 100m Olympic champion since Justin Gatlin at Athens in 2004, revealed he thought Thompson had beaten him in their photo finish.
Lyles said: "I knew that when the time came, for me to be able to say 'this is the final, this is where I need to put it together' I was going to do it.
"I did think [Thompson] had it at the end. I went up to him after, while we were waiting, and I even said 'I think you've got that, good going', and then my name popped up and I'm like 'Oh my gosh, I'm amazing'.
"I'm going to be honest, I wasn't ready to see it [his name] and that's the first time I've ever said that. I wasn't ready to see it.
"He was quite a few lanes down, he was in four, I was in seven so it was hard for me to picture where we were."
Men's 100m Olympic winners since 2000
- Sydney 2000: Maurice Green (USA) - 9.87 seconds
- Athens 2004: Justin Gatlin (USA) - 9.85 seconds
- Beijing 2008: Usain Bolt (JAM) - 9.69 seconds
- London 2012: Usain Bolt (JAM) - 9.63 seconds
- Rio 2016: Usain Bolt (JAM) - 9.81 seconds
- Tokyo 2020: Marcell Jacobs (ITA) - 9.80 seconds
- Paris 2024: Noah Lyles (USA) - 9.79 seconds
In pictures: How Lyles claimed dramatic win
St Lucia's Alfred crowned women's 100m champion on Saturday
On Saturday, St Lucia's Julien Alfred stormed to 100m gold in the women's event.
Alfred crossed the line in 10.72 seconds under the falling rain at Stade de France, ahead of the United States' world champion Sha'Carri Richardson in second and Melissa Jefferson in third.
Britain's Daryll Neita was left to reflect on a "super tough" evening after missing out on a first individual Olympic medal by four hundredths of a second behind Jefferson.
Neita came up just shy in 10.96, one hundredth of a second ahead of American Twanisha Terry in a photo finish.
How to follow the Olympics on Sky
Keep up to date with the action from the Paris 2024 Olympics across Sky Sports' digital platforms and Sky Sports News every day between now and Sunday August 11.
Alongside live news blogs and updates as records are broken and medals won on skysports.com and the Sky Sports app, Sky Sports News will also have dedicated reporters on the scene in Paris during the Games to gather the latest news both inside and outside the arenas in France as well as reaction to the big moments from medal winners, coaches, relatives and pundits.
Launching this August, Sky Sports+ will be integrated into Sky TV, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports app - giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Stream The new EFL season, Test cricket and more top sport with NOW.
