Adnaan Mohamed in Paris
PLACE DE CLICHY, Adidas House – Noah Lyles was officially dubbed the world fastest man after he won a dramatic 100m final here at the Stade de France in Paris.
As the world’s eight best male sprinters crossed the finish line in an almighty heap, their form disintegrating as their desperation grew, the giant stadium screens gave no indication of the result. Only the word “photo-finish” was by everyone’s name.
Lyles narrowly beat Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson by a mere five-thousandths of a second. The official results showed just how close it was. Lyles had run 9.784. Thompson 9.789. Another American, Fred Kerley, took bronze in 9.81, with the South African Akani Simbine fourth. But every man in the field easily broke 10 seconds.
No wonder the legendary Michael Johnson described it as the greatest 100m final ever.
The 27-year-old Lyles planned to win gold in the 200m as well as the 4 x 100m relay, but it was not to be.
Letsile Tebogo stormed to victory in an African record of 19.46 seconds in front of a roaring Stade de France crowd on Thursday (8 August). Botswana’s rising superstar denied pre-race favourite, Lyles, the coveted sprint double.
The American was not able to live with the impressive pace of the 21-year-old. And after coming out dancing before settling into the starting blocks, Lyles finishes third behind fellow American Kenneth Bednarek (19.62) to take bronze in 19.70.
Immediately after the race, Lyles revealed that he tested positive for COVID. The track superstar had to be helped off the track in a wheelchair.
The USA came into Paris 2024 as the team to beat in the men’s 4x100m relay after winning gold at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest and the world relays in Nassau earlier this year. However, the United States was left ruing missed opportunities after their quartet was disqualified due to a bungled first handoff.
Canada delivered a stunning upset to win the men’s 4x100m gold sending the baton across the line on Friday, 9 August in a time of 37.50 seconds.
South Africa finished shortly behind for the silver in an African record of 37.57s with Great Britain rounding out the podium clocking 37.61s.
In an interview from Adidas House, Lyles was happy with narrowly winning gold in the 100m, but expressed his disappointment in not being able to emulate that feat in the 200m and the 4X100m relay.
