- Noah Lyles of the USA achieved a remarkable victory by a mere five-thousandths of a second
- Lyles narrowly defeated Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson in an exhilarating photo finish
- A composite image has captured the intensity of the competitors pushing their limits for triumph
A breathtaking image from the Olympic men’s 100m final has illustrated the intense competition that unfolded, featuring Noah Lyles clinching the gold medal in a thrilling photo finish.
The American sprinter Lyles edged out Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson by a minuscule five-thousandths of a second, sealing his victory with a final effort just before the line.
All eight athletes finished within a remarkable 0.12 seconds of one another.
Oblique Seville, the Jamaican who ended up in last place, completed the race in 9.91 seconds, a time that would have earned him fourth place in the Tokyo 2021 games.
Consequently, every participant recorded a sub-10 second time, officially marking the event at the Stade de France as the fastest 100m race in history.
A stunning new photo has revealed exactly how the Olympic men’s 100m final played out
American superstar Noah Lyles triumphed by fending off Kishane Thompson
A composite photograph crafted by Getty Images has traced the action across the vibrant track, culminating in Lyles’ extraordinary win.
Various snapshots of the race, captured from a stationary camera, were layered creatively, allowing viewers to follow the race from the starter’s pistol to the finish line.
The audience was left in suspense as they awaited the announcement of the winner, with screens displaying a message reading ‘photo-finish’ alongside the names of the eight racers.
Eventually, it was confirmed that Lyles, thanks to an electrifying sprint through the field and a final lunge, had bested Thompson.
However, he was not a contender until the final meters of the race.
Lyles celebrated exuberantly while anxiously awaiting the results during the photo finish
In Lane Three, Lyles secured first place with a last-minute surge and dip across the finish line
Interestingly, Lyles, alongside Letsile Tebogo, had the slowest start reaction in the race, clocking in at 0.178 seconds, in contrast to Fred Kerley’s 0.108 seconds.
Nevertheless, Lyles progressed beyond both Tebogo and Kerley after regaining his momentum midway through the race. At the halfway point, he was in seventh place, having been in last position after 40 meters.
The 27-year-old athlete achieved a remarkable top speed of 43.6 kilometers per hour at the 60-meter mark, propelling himself into medal contention and finishing the race dramatically.
‘Honestly, I thought [Thompson] had it in the end,’ Lyles confessed.
‘I approached him while we were waiting and said, “I think you’ve got that, well done,” and then my name appeared on the screen and I was like, “oh my gosh, this is amazing”.’
‘To be honest, I wasn’t expecting to see that, and that’s something I’ve never said before.’
Lyles (second from right) initially struggled from the blocks but made an impressive recovery
Four-time Olympic champion Michael Johnson declared that this race was ‘undoubtedly’ the best 100m final he had ever witnessed, ‘bar none.’
‘The final met all expectations. Throughout the heats, it seemed like Kishane Thompson was destined to win, given that he arrived as the world’s fastest man,’ Johnson remarked during the BBC’s live coverage.
‘We witnessed an incredible race where the finish was so close that you could cover it with a blanket.’
‘For several minutes, we were unsure who had won.’
