Fans of the Olympics were left perplexed by Noah Lyles’s stunning triumph in the 100 meters final, where the American sprinter narrowly defeated Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson.
The 27-year-old athlete clinched victory in Paris tonight, finishing just five thousandths of a second ahead in one of the closest 100m races ever.
After placing second in an earlier semi-final race on Sunday, Lyles secured his first Olympic gold medal with a time of 9.79 seconds, edging out Thompson.
This marks the pinnacle of Lyles’s career, following his bronze medal performance at the Tokyo Games in 2021.
However, viewers took to social media to voice their bewilderment regarding the decision of the winner, as the final was so close that it required a photo finish, resulting in an agonizing wait for the outcome.
Olympic fans have been left baffled by Noah Lyles’s dramatic victory in the 100 metres final
The American sprinter beat Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson by the narrowest of margins
Thompson was left bitterly disappointed after losing the final by five thousandths of a second
One user on X, formerly known as Twitter, remarked: ‘Thompson was robbed. He beat Noah.’
Another commented: ‘It looked like Thompson won….?’
Meanwhile, a third confused user noted: ‘I don’t understand the rules, but the Jamaican was there first.’
Another asked: ‘Is it head first to win? Thompson’s foot was clearly over.’
One frustrated individual posted: ‘These rules are ridiculous. Thompson won this one.’
In track competitions, the winner is determined by who gets their chest across the finish line first, meaning that Thompson’s foot crossing the line ahead did not impact the final decision.
