A men’s 100m final of extraordinary nature concluded with a photo finish, the difference being a razor-thin five-thousandth of a second. The competitors in the spotlight were Noah Lyles, an American, and Kishane Thompson from Jamaica. Both athletes finished the sprint in 9.79 seconds, but after an extended period of anxious anticipation, Lyles was finally proclaimed the victor.
Fred Kerley, another contender from America, bagged the bronze medal with a time of 9.81, closely followed by Akani Simbine from South Africa in the fourth position.
The undefeated world 200m champion of 2022, Noah Lyles, had set ambition aflame with an audacious target—becoming a worldwide superstar and influencer. It seemed like a ludicrous aspiration at first glance, but his triumphant sweep of three gold medals at the 2023 Budapest world championships proved otherwise. His rise to fame was further amplified by his appearance in Netflix’s documentary series “Sprint,” which turned the spotlight on him, posing new opportunities and horizons.
Lyles was slow off the starting blocks at the initial 15 metres, trailing his primary opponents. Yet, in the closing metres, he caught up with Thompson and managed to just edge past him at the finishing line.
The creators of “Sprint,” aimed at popularising the 100m race, dismissed interviewing athletes like Thompson or Oblique Seville. They were more interested in profiling racers wearing the star-spangled banner, notably Lyles and Kerley. As a result, when introduced to the 75,000 spectators at the Stade de France, amid an electrifying spectacle and the music of Kavinsky, Lyles and Kerley reveled in the most raucous applause. Thompson roared with confidence during his introduction, Kerley gestured for silence, while Lyles energetically charged down the track, emitting cries of jubilation.
Contrary to routine practices, the sprinters had a prolonged wait at the starting block amidst the clapping audience and melodious tunes. This delay might explain the tight race and slower-than-expected times.
The race could have been Thompson’s for the taking had it been a 99 metre sprint. However, a resolute Lyles maintained excellent form and dipped expertly at exactly the right instant, thus adding an Olympic gold medal to his distinguished world title.
Tearing off his bib emblazoned with his name from his top, he displayed it proudly thereby revealing his identity, just as he had always vouched to do, as the quickest sportsman globally.
“This is what I craved for, the mighty combat, the spectacular competitors,” expressed Lyles, the premier American Olympic 100m victor succeeding Justin Gatlin in 2004.
“All came equipped for the confrontation and I sought to authenticate that I am the alpha in this pack, I am the apex of all apex predators.”
Finishing as the fourth, Akani Simbini of South Africa experienced a phenomenal six times of achieving the fourth or fifth position in international championships, albeit he had the saving grace of a national record of 9.83.
The defending victor, Lamont Marcell Jacob of Italy, hampered by tight bandages, secured the fifth place in 9.85 seconds. The standard of the contest was such that even the one who came in eighth, Oblique Seville of Jamaica, still managed to complete the race in 9.91 seconds.
For the first time, it was observed that eight sportsmen managed to finish the 100 metre dash under 10 seconds in a race conducted with permissible wind conditions.