Noah Lyles has become an Olympic champion for the first time after winning the men’s 100 meters final by a hair.
Lyles, who had to settle for second place in his semi-final earlier in the day, won his first Olympic gold medal on Sunday by a fraction of a second with a time of 9.79 seconds.
It is the greatest moment in the 27-year-old’s career, following his bronze medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, when he defeated Kishane Thompson.
Fellow countryman Fred Kerley won bronze in 9.81 seconds.
Lyles, the first American to win gold since Justin Gatlin in 2004, raised his arms in triumph to loud cheers from the packed house after his epic finish at the Stade de France, putting his name at the top of the leaderboard.
Noah Lyles became the first American in 20 years to win the men’s 100 meters final on Sunday
He defeated Jamaican Kishane Thompson in Paris with a time of 9.79 seconds
He started slower than his rivals but crossed the finish line quickly to take victory by five thousandths of a second.
More to follow.
