Noah Lyles has officially claimed the title of the fastest man in the world, and his journey to this pinnacle was nothing short of extraordinary. In a breathtaking night filled with drama at the Stade de France, Lyles ran the race of his life to clinch the Paris 2024 men’s 100m title by the narrowest of margins.
Lyles, the reigning world champion, finished with a time of 9.784 seconds, just five-thousandths of a second ahead of Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson, who clocked in at 9.789. The USA’s Fred Kerley secured the bronze with a time of 9.81 seconds. After the race, a jubilant Lyles shared his disbelief with Eurosport, admitting he thought Thompson had won. 'I went up to Kishane and was like, 'I'm gonna be honest, I think you had that one,'' Lyles recounted. 'To see my name pop up, I'm like, 'goodness gracious, I'm incredible.''
Despite being the reigning world champion in 100m and 200m, Lyles was not the fastest man this year; that honour belonged to Thompson, who had run 9.77 seconds at the Jamaican trials. Yet, Lyles' determination and speed were unparalleled as he seized a spectacular victory. In his Olympic debut, Thompson expressed his disappointment at missing gold by such a slim margin. 'I beat myself today in that I didn't trust my speed to bring me to the line in the first place,' Thompson lamented.
Even before the race began, the 100m final was charged with excitement. A light show transformed the stadium into a sea of multi-coloured fireflies, and a DJ amped up the crowd with electronic music. Amidst this electric atmosphere, Lyles, known for his showmanship, remained cool and composed. 'When I saw my name [on the scoreboard], I was like, I didn’t do this against a slow field,' Lyles said at the post-race press conference. 'I did this against the best of the best on the biggest stage with the biggest pressure.'
Lyles' ability to rise above nerves and perform at his peak was evident once again. 'I wouldn’t say I’m nervous,' Lyles explained. 'I’d say I was extremely curious as to what was going to happen... Because I came in third-fastest from the semis and I’m like, ‘This is going to be serious, this is not going to be easy.’'
It wasn't easy, but Lyles can now confidently call himself the fastest man on the planet, a title earned by his sheer tenacity and exceptional athleticism.
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