At the Olympics, where the world’s top athletes compete, the race for gold is always intense, but it’s only rarely as close as it was Sunday in the men’s 100-meter dash.
Already known for not having the best acceleration times, American Noah Lyles started off the 100-meter race in last, but pushed himself to catch up to Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson.
By the final steps of the competition, they were neck and neck.
The finish was so tight that initial results suggested Thompson might have won, with American announcers declaring him the victor as the runners crossed the finish line.
However, the close margin required confirmation from race officials before anyone was officially declared the winner.
As the athletes awaited the official results, Lyles approached Thompson and told him, “I think you got it done,” according to NBC Olympics.
However, Lyles was proved wrong when he was declared the gold medal winner with a personal best time of 9.784 seconds. He narrowly edged out Thompson by five thousandths of a second, who finished in 9.789 seconds, NBC Olympics reported.
After being declared the winner, Lyles removed the paper bib from his jersey and held it aloft, celebrating by beckoning to the camera.
“America, I told you, I got this!” he shouted.
Per NBC News, this victory marks the first time the U.S. has won gold in the 100-meter dash in 20 years.
In a post on X after his win, Lyles shared an inspirational message: “I have Asthma, allergies, dyslexia, ADD, anxiety, and Depression. But I will tell you that what you have does not define what you can become. Why Not You!”
Lyles will now turn his attention to winning another gold medal in the 200-meter race.
“I’ll be winning,” Lyles said, per NBC Olympics. “None of them is winning. When I come off the turn, they will be depressed.”