Paris 2024: USA's 20-Year Wait Ends: Lyles Strikes Gold

Lyles makes history in 100m Olympic final...

Noah Lyles wins Olympic gold in historic 100m final, leading a field of eight athletes under 10 seconds, with Fred Kerley taking bronze and Akani Simbine missing out on a medal by a fraction of a second.

Noah Lyles rose to the occasion on Sunday night, winning a thrilling Paris 2024 Olympics men's 100m final by a mere five thousandths of a second, ending the United States' 20-year wait for gold in the event.

The USA's last men's 100m gold medal came at the Athens 2004 Olympics, courtesy of Justin Gatlin. Lyles' electrifying performance in Paris marked a triumphant return to the top of the podium, capping off one of the most epic sprint races in history.

In an unprecedentedly competitive final, the finish was incredibly tight, with the scoreboard initially indicating a photo finish to separate the top seven athletes. Lyles was momentarily convinced he had fallen short, only to be declared the winner in a heart-stopping conclusion.

Noah Lyles was officially declared the winner with a personal best time of 9.79 seconds, edging out Jamaica's Kishane Thompson by a hair's breadth, despite both athletes sharing the same time. Lyles' victory was sealed by his superior technique, crossing the line a fraction ahead.

After trailing for most of the race, Lyles showcased his exceptional speed and endurance, maintaining perfect form and executing a masterful dip at the finish line to claim Olympic gold and add to his world title. Overcome with emotion, he tore off his bib number and triumphantly raised it aloft, his red, white, and blue painted fingernails gleaming in celebration.

In a symbolic gesture, Lyles proclaimed his status as the world's fastest man, fulfilling his long-held promise and cementing his position atop the sprinting hierarchy.

“It's the one I wanted, it's the hard battle, it's the amazing opponents,” said Lyles.

“Everybody came prepared for the fight and I wanted to prove that I'm the man among all of them, I'm the wolf among wolves.”

In a historic first, eight athletes achieved sub-10 second times in the same wind-legal 100m race, marking a new milestone in sprinting excellence.

“I am a bit disappointed, but I am happy at the same time,” said Thompson, the fastest man in the world this year. “I wasn't patient enough with myself to let my speed bring me at the line, in the position that I know I could have gone to, but I have learnt from it.”

Fred Kerley of the United States secured the bronze medal with a time of 9.81 seconds, narrowly missing out on the top spot.

South Africa's Akani Simbine fell just short of the podium, finishing fourth with a new national record time of 9.82 seconds, a testament to the intense competition.

The historic final saw all eight athletes break the 10-second barrier, a first in the 100m event. Even the eighth-place finisher, Jamaica's Oblique Seville, clocked an impressive 9.91 seconds, highlighting the unprecedented depth of talent in the race.