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You've Got To See These Astonishing Photos Of Noah Lyles Winning The 100m Final By 0.005 Seconds

BuzzFeed
·4 min read

Noah Lyles!

Noah Lyles holds the USA flag, celebrating his victory. He wears an athletic outfit with "USA" printed on the chest. Photographers capture the moment
Kevin Voigt / GettyImages

On Sunday, the two-time Olympic sprinter from Virginia won his first gold medal, effectively becoming the fastest man in the world.

Noah Lyles celebrates victory on the track, holding a name placard overhead, surrounded by a cheering crowd in a stadium
Christian Petersen / Getty Images

He won the 100m Final at the Paris Olympics.

Noah Lyles, wearing a sleeveless USA athletic outfit, yells in celebration during an event
Julian Finney / Getty Images

Always a highly anticipated event, this year's 100m Final proved even more thrilling as Lyles won in a photo finish.

Noah Lyles, Ferdinand Omanyala, and three unidentified sprinters compete in a thrilling track race at a major event, all making a final sprint towards the finish
Mehmet Murat Onel/Anadolu via Getty Images

He beat out Kishane Thompson of Jamaica by 0.005 seconds with a time of 9.784 seconds. American Fred Kerley finished in third.

Noah Lyles in USA uniform and Andrew Hudson in Jamaica uniform standing together, looking upward during a track event
Mehmet Murat Onel/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Here's a look at the staggeringly close finish:

Aerial view of athletes crossing the finish line of a race, positioned on lanes 1 to 9. Names are not provided
Richard Heathcote / Getty Images

According to Olympic sprinting rules, the finish is determined by an athlete's torso.

Track athletes sprinting towards the finish line, captured mid-motion. They are all leaning forward intensely, striving to cross the line first in a close race
Aytac Unal/Anadolu via Getty Images

"The first athlete whose torso (as distinguished from the head, neck, arms, legs, hands, or feet) reaches the vertical plane of the closest edge of the finish line is the winner," the Olympics state.

Sprinters cross the finish line during a track race at a stadium. The athletes are wearing race attire and looking focused
DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP via Getty Images

It was such a close finish that Lyles initially didn't think he won.

Noah Lyles wraps himself in the American flag and smiles joyfully on a sports field
Andrea Staccioli/Insidefoto/LightRocket via Getty Images

According to ESPN, Lyles said in a post-race conference, "I'm going to be honest, I came over [to Thompson] and I was like: 'I think you got that one, big dawg!' Something said I need to lean, and I was like, 'I'm going to lean,' because it's that type of race."

Jamaican athlete Thompson and USA athlete Lyles react after a race at the Paris 2021 event. Both are wearing their country's sports uniforms
Steve Christo - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images

Shortly after winning, Noah tweeted an inspirational message, saying, "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!"

@LylesNoah/Twitter / Via x.com

An outpouring of congratulations has taken over Twitter. So here are some of the best reactions to Lyles bringing home the gold in the 100m, including several people who recalled his comments last year in which he wondered why NBA champions are referred to as "world champions":

1.

@GoldieOnSports/Twitter / Via Twitter: @GoldieOnSports

2.

@SheaSerrano/Twitter / Via Twitter: @SheaSerrano

3.

@atchouameni/Twitter / Via Twitter: @atchouameni

4.

@marklewismd/Twitter / Via Twitter: @marklewismd

5.

@austinsprops/Twitter/NBC / Via Twitter: @austinsprops

6.

@RGIII/Twitter/NBC / Via Twitter: @RGIII

7.

@Kevinish/Twitter/NBC / Via Twitter: @Kevinish

8.

@GiveMe1Shot/Twitter/Julian Finney/Getty Images / Via Twitter: @GiveMe1Shot

9. Finally, a funny one:

@tysonbrody/Twitter/Hector Vivas/Getty Images / Via Twitter: @tysonbrody