Noah Lyles has had an incredible journey leading up to his victory at the 2024 Paris Olympics. After participating in the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics and finishing third in the men’s 200-meter final race, Lyles struggled with depression and feared competing again.
However, he was encouraged by his high school therapist and he returned to the track. Now, Lyles has won gold in the men’s 100-meter final race at the 2024 Paris Olympics. His unexpected win surprised fans as a photograph shared online shows that his opponent crossed the line first.
The 100-meter Olympic final race was filled with drama and even faced a delay. Security at Stade de France had to intervene and apprehend a man who tried to climb onto the track just moments before the men’s final started.
A man, appearing to wear a T-shirt that said “Free Palestine,” was tackled to the ground before he could reach the purple surface of the track.
Photos on social media captured officials escorting the protester away just moments before Lyles claimed the gold medal in what became one of the most thrilling 100m races ever.
The race had a dramatic start as Lyles had the slowest reaction time to the starting gun. Halfway through the race, he was still in the seventh position of the tight eight-man race
In the final strides, Lyles surged ahead, catching up to Thompson, American Fred Kerley, and South Africa’s Akani Simbine separated by fractions of a second. He ultimately won the race, surprising many, including himself.
Lyles had longed for this gold medal for three years and had brazenly predicted that he would win it. However, when interviewed, Lyles said that at first, he was not sure that he had won.
The scoreboard had taken its time to process the photo finish, offering no immediate indication of who had won gold, silver, or bronze. The sold-out, raucous stadium shared in the uncertainty, waiting in suspense.
During this time, Lyles and Thompson conversed. Lyles told Thompson, “I think you got that one, big dog.” However, Thompson replied, “I’m not even sure. It was that close.”
Thompson’s prediction about the race’s tightness proved accurate as Lyles was declared the winner, finishing just five-thousandths of a second ahead.
Noah Lyles secured his first gold medal with a time of 9.79 seconds. He became the first American to win gold in the Olympic 100 meters since Justin Gatlin’s victory in 2004.
“I didn’t do this against a slow field. I did this against the best of the best, on the biggest stage with the biggest pressure. And seeing that name, I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh, there it is,’” gushed Lyles.
The race was indeed historic. It was so swift that Kenny Bednarek’s 9.88 seconds, which earned him seventh place, would have secured a medal in both the 2016 and 2020 Olympics.
After Lyles’ win, the NBC Olympics and Paralympics page celebrated him, writing, ” NOAH LYLES’ OLYMPIC DREAM COMES TRUE! 100M GOLD MEDALIST. #ParisOlympics.”
BET99 Ontario also chimed in, “Best finish to a race ever.” The Kong Center page commented, ” Wow. What a finish! Great work by everyone and congrats to Lyles .”
The drama at the start, coupled with Lyles’ slower initial reaction time, and the race’s overall speed, captured widespread attention.
However, what shocked many was the image indicating that Thompson’s foot crossed the line first. Some argued that while Lyles clinched victory, Thompson finished ahead of him.
Philanthropist Farhiya Abass, asked, “How is Noah Lyles the winner here? 🤔.” “Wait. How did Noah Lyles win?,” another person also questioned. “I know! I still can’t believe it! Thompson should’ve won gold 🥇,” another user shared.
A fan who thought the gold should be shared, wrote, “Noah Lyles and Alisha me Thompson ran 9.79 but Noah is declared the winner why can’t they share gold???🤷🏾♂️🤷🏾♂️🤷🏾♂️ just unfair dnt tell me about 1000th of a sec.
One user answered the question many fans were asking, “For those confused as to why Noah Lyles was awarded Gold instead of Thompson, even though Thompson’s foot crossed 1st: The clock stops when your torso crosses the line *not* 1st body part.”
The user elaborated, “Noah leans w/ his chest, while Thompson subtly concaves his chest. That was the difference.” Still, unconvinced fans shared their opinion, “That is a ridiculous rule, but still strange Thompson didn’t know it.
Another user who thought the explanation was weird also wrote, “I always thought a foot race was suppose to be decided by feet.”
Lyles ignored the doubts from some online users and celebrated his victory. Proud of how far he has come, he relished his win. He jotted on X, “I have Asthma, allergies, dyslexia, ADD, anxiety, and Depression. But I will tell you that what you have does not define what you can become. Why Not You!”
Lyles had earned a world championship in the 100 only 12 months before the Olympics. His win was part of the three golds at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
Nevertheless, the athlete understood that Olympic performances resonate more deeply than any others, because they do with him, too.
Lyles is emboldened by his gold medal and encouraged by Kerley at the post-race news conference. He now wants Adidas, his sponsor since spring, which signed him to the richest contract for a track athlete since Bolt, to create his own signature sneaker.
Lyles also guaranteed that he would win the 200 meters. “I hope you guys like Noah because I got a lot more coming. I’m pretty confident. I’ll be winning. When I come off the turn, they will be depressed,” he said confidently.
Despite having the slowest start, Lyles emerged as the victor when it counted, securing the gold in the men’s 100-meter Olympic final. He now believes even greater achievements lie ahead.
