Delivering on his promise to bring sprinting success back to the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympics, American breakout star Noah Lyles captured his first gold medal of the 2024 Paris Olympics winning the 100 meters by 0.005 over Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson. Lyles (9.784) became the fastest man in the world setting a personal best and barely edging Kishane (9.789) with fellow American Fred Kerley (9.810) taking bronze.
A talented, swagger-filled 27-year-old world champion whose specialty is the 200 meters, Lyles admitted that he underestimated his competitors during the first stages of qualifications for the 100 meters final. In the end, his self confidence, immense speed and technique — leaning at the tape was crucial to his photo-finish victory — led Lyles to becoming the first American sprinter to win the 100 meters in 20 years (Justin Gatlin, 2004 Athens Olympics).
Lyles on Thursday will seek to become the first sprinter to win the 100 meters and 200 meters in the same Olympics since Jamaica’s Usain Bolt (2008, 2012, 2016) and the first American to achieve the feat since the legendary Carl Lewis (1984).
Lyles won bronze in the 200 meters at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, a placement that has served as significant motivation for him over the last three years. He broke out last year with golds in the 100 meters, 200 meters and 4×100-meter relay at the 2023 World Championships before setting his sights on these Summer Games.
His primary goal in these Olympics has been to set the world record in the 200 meters, but he will potentially contend for as many as four medals as Lyles plans to participate in the 4×100-meter relay and possibly the 4×400-meter relay as well.
Kerley, the reigning silver medalist in the 100 meters from Tokyo, returned to the medal stand giving the Americans two 100-meter medal winners for the first time since Maurice Green (bronze) joined Gatlin on the podium in 2004.
The United States has now medaled in 10 of the last 11 such races with the lone exception coming in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
Sunday marked the visually closest 1-2 finish in the 100 meters since at least the 1980 Moscow Olympics; electric timers did not go to the thousandths place 44 years ago.
NBC