Noah Lyles has made no secret of what he wants out of the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Medals. Gold medals. Three of them.
2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games
The American sprint star took the first step toward that goal on Sunday night, winning the men’s 100 meters at Stade de France by the slimmest of margins. It required video review to confirm Lyles won by five-thousandths of a second over Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson.
Lyles’ time was 9.784 and Thompson had 9.789 to take silver. The photo finish was decided based on when Lyle’s torso crossed the finish, not the sprinters’ feet. American Fred Kerley finished third with a time of 9.81.
After a disappointing performance three years ago at the Tokyo Games, where he struggled with depression and finished third in his specialty, the 200 meters, Lyles arrived in Paris with a bigger goal — the coveted 100, 200 and 4×100-relay sprint triple — in mind.
“Now, here I am, stronger than before,” he said. “And when Noah Lyles is being Noah Lyles, there is nobody else.”
He will have his next chance to prove it in the 200 on Thursday. The relay is scheduled for Friday.