Noah Lyles has won the Paris 2024 Olympics 100 metres in a dramatic photo finish, www.totorinews.com reports.

Lyles strided to victory when it mattered most by winning the closest-ever Olympic 100 metres final by five thousandths of a second on Sunday to give the United States the title for the first time in 20 years.

In a photo finish Lyles believed he had left it too late to catch the powerful Kishane Thompson, but the giant screen confirmed him as the winner in a personal best 9.79 seconds, the same time as the Jamaican, but ahead by the width of a vest.

Speaking after the race, the American noted it was a very difficult race, hard battle that involved fierce warriors on the track.

Noah Lyles

“It’s the one I wanted, it’s the hard battle, it’s the amazing opponents,” said Lyles, the first American male Olympic 100m champion since Justin Gatlin in 2004.

“I didn’t do this against a slow field – I did this against the best of the best, on the biggest stage, with the biggest pressure.

“I did not think I won, I didn’t think I dipped at the right time, too early,” Lyles said. “I even went up to Kishane while we were waiting and said ‘I think you got that one.’ But then my name popped up and I thought ‘oh my gosh, I’m amazing’.”

Another American Fred Kerley took bronze in 9.81 and Akani Simbini of South Africa was fourth, making it a remarkable six fourth or fifth-placed finishes in global championships, albeit with the consolation of a national record time of 9.83.

Tokyo Olympics champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs of Italy, heavily strapped, finished fifth in 9.85 and Letsile Tebogo of Botswana also set a national record with 9.86 in sixth.