Paris Olympics: Noah Lyles triumphs in closest 100m final in Olympic history

American sprinter Noah Lyles narrowly secured the Olympic men’s 100m title with a thrilling victory at the Paris 2024 Games, edging out Jamaica's Kishane Thompson by a mere 0.005 seconds.

Lyles, clocking a personal best of 9.79 seconds, surged ahead in the final meters of the race. Despite both athletes recording the same official time, Lyles was declared the winner in a photo finish.

In a post-race interview with Eurosport, a jubilant Lyles remarked "I went up to Kishane and I was like, 'I'm gonna be honest, I think you had that one'. I was fully prepared to see his name pop up. and to see my name pop, I'm like, 'goodness gracious, I'm incredible,'" reported the olympics website.

The competition was fiercely contested, with former world champion Fred Kerley of the United States claiming the bronze with a time of 9.81 seconds, narrowly defeating South Africa's Akani Simbine. All eight finalists finished within 0.12 seconds of Lyles, underscoring the high caliber of the race.

Italy's reigning Olympic champion, Lamont Marcell Jacobs, failed to medal, while Jamaican rising star Oblique Seville, despite a respectable 9.91 seconds, finished last in the final. Notably, Great Britain's Zharnel Hughes and Louie Hinchliffe did not advance to the final.

Lyles, the reigning world champion in both the 100m and 200m, had entered the race with a point to prove, as Thompson held the title of the fastest man this year with a 9.77-second performance at the Jamaican trials. Yet, it was Lyles' pure determination and exceptional speed that secured him the gold.

Thompson, reflecting on his close defeat, said, "Honestly it's not just that I didn't win the gold, it's that I didn't better myself in that sense. Today I really gained a lot of experience running with all these great competitors. Big up to all of them. But I really beat myself today in that I didn't trust myself and my speed to bring myself to the line in first place," reported the olympics blog.

With this remarkable finish, Noah Lyles solidified his position as the fastest man in the world, leaving a memorable mark on the Paris Olympics.

With inputs from IANS