Noah Lyles and Kishane Thompson gave us one of the most epic finishes in 100 meters history at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The difference between gold and silver was a staggering 0.005 on the clock.
In the most anticipated event of the year, the eight athletes competing in the 100m final ran under 10 seconds. It was an extraordinary spectacle at Stade de France.
As seconds went by, Lyles had a slow start, but suddenly emerged in the final meters as the biggest threat to steal the gold from Thompson. At first sight, it looked like Jamaica got the edge.
Why Noah Lyles won over Kishane Thompson at the finish line?
Millions of fans around the world saw Kishane Thompson cross the finish line first in the Paris 2024 Olympics. They were right. However, according to World Athletics, that’s not the criteria used as tiebreaker.
The rules establish that the head an extremities aren’t considered as the first body part which should cross the line. In fact, the chest/torso area is the key factor to determine who wins. Lyles had it ahead of Thompson.
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As a consequence, Noah Lyles became the first male athlete in two decades winning gold in the 100m for the United States. Justin Gatlin did it in Athens 2004.
