How did Noah Lyles finish in the 100-meter dash?

Outside of Sha’Carri Richardson, sprinter Noah Lyles is arguably the most well-known American track and field athlete at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Prior to this year’s games, Lyles had said he wanted to win gold in each of the four major sprinting events in Paris: the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, 4×100-meter relay, and 4×200-meter relay. Lyles had his first shot at Olympic immortality today with the 100-meter.
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The finals were not Lyles’ first race of the day, though. The 100-meter semifinals took place earlier today as well, with Lyles finishing second in his heat, two-hundredths of a second off the winner, Jamaica’s Oblique Seville (9.81). That result spawned this viral picture of Lyles eyeing down the man who beat him.
Another Jamaican, Kishane Thompson, also ran a 9.8 in the semifinals to seed himself above Lyles. Still, despite having not won either of the two qualifying races leading up to the finals, Lyles was still a popular pick to win gold.
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Here’s how the race played out.
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The race was tremendously close. Not even the announcers knew who won, thinking that Thompson earned the win on initial viewing. But it was Lyles who barely edged out every other racer. Even on repeat views in slow motion, it was hard to determine just when Lyles finished compared to the other athletes.
First-, second- and third-place finishers win gold, silver and bronze, respectively.
Lyles’ win gave America its first gold in the 100-meter since Justin Gatlin at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Lyles’ dream of winning four golds at these games is still alive and well.
Heats for the 200-meter will happen on Monday. Lyles’ first race will happen at 8:30 a.m. ET. The finals for the 200-meter are set for Thursday, Aug. 8 at 8:30 a.m. ET.
Carl Lewis is the last American to win both the 100- and 200-meter dashes in the same Olympics (1984).
Paris Olympics live updates:Noah Lyles wins track’s 100M, USA adds two swimming golds