The star Noah Lyles from the United States became the new king of the flagship event of athletics at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games this Sunday, August 4, in the men’s 100 meters, in a race with an outcome as thrilling as it was incredible.
The world champion from Budapest 2023 repeated the feat and won the final of the 100 meters with a time of 9.79 seconds, taking home the gold medal amidst an atmosphere of euphoria in every corner of the Stade de France.
The finish was breathtaking, as the silver medal winner, Jamaican Kishane Thompson, also clocked 9.79 seconds. However, the American ultimately took the gold as, according to the official stopwatch, Noah Lyles set a mark of 9.784 seconds compared to Thompson’s 9.789.
The bronze went to Fred Kerley, also from the United States, who recorded a time of 9.81 seconds and climbed back onto the Olympic podium. He had won the silver medal at Tokyo 2020.
In this way, the United States claims the gold in the men’s 100 meters at the Olympic Games after 20 years. The last Olympic champion in that event was Justin Gatlin, who won the final of the 100 meters at Athens 2004 with a time of 9.85 seconds.
For his part, the champion of Tokyo 2020, Italian Marcell Jacobs, who qualified for the final just barely, finished in 5th place and could not defend his Olympic title.