Fans have been left perplexed by Noah Lyles’ dramatic victory in the Paris 2024 100-meter men’s final, as the American sprinter defeated Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson by the narrowest of margins.
Lyles, 27, won the main athletics event in Paris tonight by a mere five thousandths of a second in one of the closest 100-meter finishes ever, with just 0.12 seconds separating the eight runners.
After finishing second in the semi-final race on Sunday, Lyles rose up to occasion when it mattered the most, defeating Thompson to win the Olympic gold in 9.79 seconds.
It is the biggest moment of the 27-year-old’s career, following on from a bronze medal at the Tokyo Games in 2021.
Fans react to Noah Lyles’ controversial victory
According to reports from Daily Mail, many have flocked to social media to express their surprise at how the winner was selected after the final went to a photo finish, leaving the sprinters with an agonising wait to learn who had won.
One wrote on X (formerly Twitter), ”Thompson was robbed. He beat Noah.”
Another posted: ‘It looked like Thompson won….?’
Meanwhile, a third bemused user added, ”Don’t understand the rules but the Jamaican was there first.”
Another asked, ”Is it head first to win? Thompsons foot clearly over.”
Meanwhile, in other news from Sports Buddy, Nigerian athlete Favour Ofili, who was mistakenly omitted from the 100-meter participants list, has qualified for the 200-meter semi-finals at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
