The photo finish of the men’s 100-meter final at the Paris Olympics is causing a stir across social media.
After Team USA sprinter Noah Lyles secured gold in Sunday’s event, winning by just five thousandths of a second, there was an uproar online as some believed other runners had crossed the finish line first.
Slow-motion video footage and aerial photos show Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson’s white track shoe crossing the finish line, followed closely by U.S. sprinter Fred Kerley, who wore bright orange shoes.
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However, Lyles’ decision to lean forward at the end of the race, propelling his chest over the finish line, made the critical difference on the purple track at the Stade de France.
According to track and field rules, the first athlete whose torso reaches the finish line is declared the winner. Lyles, 27, finished with a time of 9.784 seconds, narrowly beating Thompson, who completed the race in 9.789 seconds. Kerley came in third with a time of 9.81 seconds.
Lyles admitted he was “shocked” when he looked up at the scoreboard and discovered he had won the race.
“I thought I got out-leaned, truly. And me and Kishane were right next to each other, and I was like, ‘I’m gonna have to swallow my pride on this one. I’m gonna be honest, I think you had that one,’” Lyles said. “And then my name came up and I was like, ‘Oh shoot, I am incredible,’” Lyles added, laughing.
Lyles arrived in Paris with an impressive résumé, including an Olympic bronze, six world titles, and four Diamond League Final trophies. The Adidas athlete expressed a desire for his own signature shoe after winning gold, marking the first gold for the U.S. in that event in 20 years.
In addition to his 100m success, Lyles won the opening round of the men’s 200m in 20.19 seconds on Monday, coming within one second of Usain Bolt’s record. He had previously won bronze in the 200m at the Tokyo Games three years ago, with a time of 19.74 seconds.
As Lyles continues to excel on the track, the debate surrounding his photo finish win underscores the intense competition and high stakes of Olympic sprinting.
