Noah Lyles may talk the talk, but he can also walk the walk.
The 27-year-old American superstar claimed the gold medal and the title of the fastest man in the world after winning the men’s 100m by the thinnest of margins.
For the first time in Olympic history, the men’s 100m final featured only sub-10 runners, making it the fastest final ever. The stacked lineup included defending Olympic Champion Marcell Jabob, Fred Kerley, Letsile Tebogo, and world leader Kishane Thompson.
However, a number of notable names, including Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala and Canada’s Andre De Grasse, were missing from this final.
Thompson, of Jamaica, came into the final with the fastest 100m time of the year, a 9.77.
After the sprinters were made to wait ages on the startline before taking to the blocks, it was only by a photo finish that a winner could be found. Lyles, running a 9.79 (.784), pipped Thompson at the line by 0.005 of a second in the marquee sprint event, with his official time being 9.79 (.789).
Fred Kerley rounded out the podium, running a 9.81, with all eight competitors clocking sub-10.
Full results can be found below:
| Name | Time |
|---|---|
| Noah Lyles | 9.79 |
| Kishane Thompson | 9.79 |
| Fred Kearley | 9.81 |
| Akani Simbine | 9.82 |
| Marcell Jacobs | 9.85 |
| Letsile Tebogo | 9.86 |
| Kenny Bednarek | 9.88 |
| Oblique Seville | 9.91 |
