American Noah Lyles has lived up to his own hype, winning gold when a photo finish settled the closest 100m final in Olympic history.
Lyles and Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson both finished in 9.79 seconds but it was the American who triumphed when it was revealed he won by a margin of 0.005 seconds.
American Fred Kerley took bronze in 9.81 seconds from South Africa’s Akani Simbine (9.82), with Italy’s defending champion Marcell Jacobs fifth before being seen grabbing at his left hamstring after the race.
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The night, with its lengthy pre-race build-up to mark the Olympics’ biggest show and a similar wait for the result, belonged to Lyles after he bounced back from a shocking start.
He reacted slower than anyone — although just 0.002 seconds slower than silver medallist Thompson, who then got off to a strong start — and still sat last at the 40m mark and seventh at halfway before hitting the lead at the very end, the only point that counts.
“A heart-stopper in Paris,” Gerard Whateley said on Nine.
“What is five-thousands in a measurement? It is a heartbeat.”
Lyles looked straight into the camera upon clinching gold and said: “America, I told you.”
The reigning world champion’s Olympic victory could arguably be the hardest won of all, with the race going down as the fastest 100m final in history.
Oblique Saville’s 9.91 was the quickest last-place finish ever.
Lyles has crossed over into superstardom in his home country in recent years and the victory solidifies his status as one the United States’ undisputed heroes.
“I was always the fastest man in the world. Now I just got the medals to prove it,” he said.
Told that he had the slowest reaction time, the 27-year-old said: “Dang, I’m amazing. That’s crazy! That’s crazy! That just goes to prove that reaction time does not win races.”
Lyles is the first American sprinter to win an Olympic gold medal in the men’s 100m since Justin Gatlin won gold at Athens 2004.
“There was a lot of doubt I’m not gonna lie,” he told Nine after his lap of honour.
“I thought I did not get Kishane there. I thought he outdid me and to be honest when we got off the line I said ‘I think you got that one’.
“My coach said come out here control this crowd and control this field. Any time I control the crowd I know it’s my race to lose.”
Lyles, who won 200m bronze in Tokyo three years ago, is targeting further gold in Paris in the 200m and relay events.
American legend Michael Johnson said Lyles was always a contender despite being last at the 40m mark, saying the champion started stronger than he usually does and that “kept him in the race”.
“He put it all together in this final,” he told the BBC.
“You know he has the sort of foot speed that once he gets into his running — there, he’s still at the back — but once he gets into his running his frequency is unmatched.
“Kishane Thompson absolutely tightened up at the end of that race, and that is from a lack of championship experience.
“We hadn’t seen him and that was the only one thing that put a little bit of doubt about him.”
Thompson was first at the 60m mark but Lyles had closed into third.
“This is where Lyles just starts to turn it on and he’s great at that,” Johnson said.
“He’s a great 200m runner, he has great speed and endurance, he’s able to hold that speed and endurance for a very long time.
“He just has to hope that he doesn’t run out of track (in the 100m).”
– with AAP