Noah Lyles beats Kishane Thompson to claim men's 100m gold in astonishing photo finish at Paris 2024

The USA's Noah Lyles beat Jamaica's Kishane Thompson in an astonishing photo finish in the men's 100m gold final on Sunday at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Lyles' time of 9.79 was five thousandths of a second faster than Thompson, who agonisingly had to settle for silver. On a night that will go down in history at the Stade de France, Lyles' US team-mate Fred Kerley took bronze in 9.81.

Watch thrilling photo finish in 100m final as Lyles claims stunning gold

Video credit: TNT Sports

American superstar Noah Lyles claimed a maiden gold Olympic medal after securing victory in the men’s 100m in astonishing fashion, beating Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson in a photo finish at Paris 2024.

Lyles, a bronze medallist in Tokyo, was five thousandths of a second faster than Thompson as one of the most highly anticipated events at the Games truly delivered.

Having finished second to Oblique Seville of Jamaica in the semi-final, many had perhaps written Lyles off – but the 27-year-old delivered when it mattered most to post a personal best of 9.79 seconds.

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So close was the finish, there was an extremely tense wait for the winner to be announced. Lyles, who was outside the medal positions with 10m left, was indeed golden - he had delivered on his promise that he would triumph at the Stade de France.

Lyles' US team-mate Fred Kerley had to settle for bronze despite posting a blistering time of 9.81, as South Africa's Akani Simbine agonisingly missed out on a podium spot in fourth.

In fact, all eight finalists crossed the line in under 9.92 on a night for the ages, with places fourth to eighth all made in world-record time.

100m champion Lyles rings victory bell after 'greatest showman' takes gold

Video credit: TNT Sports

Lyles will still be hoping to land four medals with the men’s 200m event, the 4x100m relay and 4x400m relays to come.

"I wanted to prove that I’m the man amongst all of them. I’m the wolf amongst wolves," Lyles told Eurosport.

"I went up to Kishane and I was like ‘I’m going to be honest, I think you had that one’, I was fully prepared to see his name pop up - to see my name pop up I’m like, goodness gracious, I’m incredible!"

Hughes and Hinchliffe miss out on final

Team GB’s Zharnel Hughes and Louie Hinchliffe missed out on the final, as Lyles progressed in second.

Seville had sent a warning shot to hot favourite Lyles and the rest of his rivals by winning the opening heat with a personal best of 9:81, beating the American superstar by 0.02 seconds.

Hinchliffe finished third with a time of 9.97 seconds - but that was not enough to claim a place in the final as Jacobs and Kenneth Bednarek recorded quicker times in the second heat.

Jacobs had taken third behind South Africa's Akani Simbine (9.87 seconds) and Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo (9.92 seconds), leaving him with an anxious wait to see if he had done enough to qualify.

'I'm incredible!' - Lyles says he 'proved that I'm the man' in 100m final

Video credit: TNT Sports

But the Italian’s season-best finish of 9.92 seconds proved the seventh-fastest time of the semi-final and was enough to progress.

Thompson underlined his frightening ability to win the third heat in 9.80 seconds, as Kerley claimed second.

'I'm in disbelief' - Thomas and Philip react to Lyles edging out rivals for 100m gold

Video credit: TNT Sports

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