![\"PARIS,](\"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/GettyImages-2165276005-e1722854913650.jpg?quality=100&w=384&h=216&crop=1\")
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Noah Lyles<\/strong> is officially the fastest man in the world.<\/p>\n Albeit not by very much.<\/p>\n The American showman ran a personal best of 9.79 seconds (technically, it was 9.784)\u2014finishing just 0.005 seconds ahead of Jamaica\u2019s Kishane Thompson<\/strong>\u2014to secure his first Olympic gold medal. He\u2019s America\u2019s first gold medalist in the 100 meters in 20 years since Justin Gatlin<\/strong><\/a> won at the 2004 Athens Olympics.<\/p>\n Noah Lyles wins Olympic gold in the men\u2019s 100m with an EPIC finish. \ud83e\udd47 #ParisOlympics<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/12qSEeubje<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NBC Sports (@NBCSports) August 5, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Thompson took silver with a 9.789. Fred Kerley<\/strong>, who won silver in the Tokyo Olympics, added a bronze to his resume with a personal best time of 9.81. Five of the top six times were personal bests, a season best, or a national record. Oblique Seville<\/strong> ran a 9.91 and finished last.<\/p>\n The 27-year-old said that before he left for Paris, one of his physio guys assured him this race would be a squeaker.<\/p>\n \u201cHe said, \u2018This is how close first and second are going to be,\u2019\u201d Lyles recounted as he pinched his thumb and forefinger together so they were almost touching. \u201cI can\u2019t believe how right he was.\u201d<\/p>\n For those confused as to why Noah Lyles was awarded Gold instead of Thompson, even though Thompson\u2019s foot crossed 1st:<\/p>\n The clock stops when your torso crosses the line *not* 1st body part. Noah leans w\/ his chest, while Thompson subtly concaves his chest. That was the difference pic.twitter.com\/13WqNsjrvm<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) August 4, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Computers showed Lyles leaned forward\u2014his torso had to cross the finish line\u2014to cross the line five-thousandths of a second faster than Thompson.<\/p>\n Before the final results were posted, Lyles told reporters he thought it was Thompson who finished first, not him.<\/p>\n \u201cI was like, oh man, I\u2019m really gonna have to swallow my pride, which I don\u2019t have a problem doing. Respect deserves respect, and everybody in the field, to be honest, came out knowing that they could win this race.\u201d<\/p>\n Noah Lyles with a POWERFUL message after winning his first Olympic gold medal \ud83d\udc4f\ud83c\udfc5 pic.twitter.com\/hNpJtrXby4<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 ESPN (@espn) August 5, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Previously, Lyles talked about wanting more spirited competition with his cohorts. More trash-talking. More races. More of the best facing off.<\/p>\n \u201cEverybody has their own vibe. I\u2019m a showman,\u201d Lyles declared in the documentary series Sprint<\/em> on Netflix.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like almost an artistic director. You have all these other athletes as stars, rock stars, popular wherever they go. Track and field needs to be the same. And I\u2019m not gonna be happy until I see that accomplished.\u201d<\/p>\n And it\u2019s not just trash talk with his track and field competitors. Lyles and the NBA\u2014players and fans\u2014have had some beef since he spoke at last year\u2019s World Championships in which he won the 100 and 200.<\/p>\n “World champions of what?!” \ud83d\ude02<\/p>\n USA sprinter Noah Lyles calls out the NBA for labelling their winners as ‘world champions’ \ud83c\udfc0 pic.twitter.com\/MAaBLBrOj4<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Sky Sports (@SkySports) August 29, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Lyles mocked the league\u2019s labeling of its NBA Finals winners as \u201cworld champions\u201d by openly asking, \u201cWorld champion of what? The United STATES?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat ain\u2019t the world,\u201d he continued amid laughter from reporters. \u201cThat is not the world. We are the world. We have almost every country out here fighting, thriving, putting on their flag to show that they\u2019re represented. There ain\u2019t no flags in the NBA.\u201d<\/p>\n NBA players and media didn\u2019t find Lyles\u2019 ridicule so amusing. They argued that the league comprises the best basketball players from around the globe and is therefore the best hoops competition on the planet despite not being an official world championship.<\/p>\n Lyles\u2019 comments sparked a firestorm of criticism and clap-backs. Kevin Durant<\/strong><\/a> tweeted: \u201cSomebody help this brother.\u201d ESPN\u2019s Stephen A. Smith<\/strong><\/a> called Lyles \u201cflagrantly ignorant.\u201d<\/p>\n Fast forward to Saturday and the start of the men\u2019s 100 competition at Stade de France. Lyles finished second in his first-round heat, and his many detractors tweeted their delight about his potential downfall in Paris. He took second again in his semifinal early Sunday, giving his critics more hope.<\/p>\n Lol na he an Olympic gold medalist. He can talk for life \ud83d\ude02 https:\/\/t.co\/f18joDmXRj<\/a><\/p>\n\n
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