Olympic fans are stunned by Noah Lyles’ dramatic victory in the 100 metres final after the American sprinter defeated Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson by the narrowest of margins.
The 27-year-old won the most important athletics event in Paris tonight by just five thousandths of a second in one of the most exciting 100-meter races of all time.
Lyles, who had to settle for second place in the semi-finals earlier on Sunday, took his first Olympic gold medal in 9.79 seconds, beating Thompson.
It is the best moment in the 27-year-old’s career, after his bronze medal at the 2021 Tokyo Games.
But viewers took to social media to express confusion over the way the winner was decided after the final ended in a photo finish, with sprinters left in suspense to decide who had won.
Olympic fans are stunned by Noah Lyles’ dramatic victory in the 100m final
The American sprinter defeated Jamaican Kishane Thompson by the narrowest possible margin
Thompson was deeply disappointed after losing the final by five thousandths of a second
Former Twitter user One X said, “Thompson got robbed. He hit Noah.”
Another posted: ‘It looked like Thompson won….?’
Meanwhile, a third bewildered user added: ‘I don’t get the rules but the Jamaican got there first.’
Another asked: ‘Is head first winning? Thompson’s foot is clearly over.’
One frustrated user posted: ‘These rules are fucking stupid. Thompson won this one.’
In track events, the winner is the first person to cross the finish line with their chest. Thompson crossing the finish line with their foot first made no difference to the outcome.
