The most anticipated track and field event of the Paris Olympics did not disappoint. Still reeling from the women’s 100m and 200m setbacks, Jamaican fans turned their hopes to Kishane Thompson and Oblique Seville in the men’s 100m final. However, triple-world champion Noah Lyles spoiled the party. In a thrilling photo finish, Lyles clocked 9.79 seconds, narrowly beating Thompson by mere microseconds. Thompson led most of the race, but Lyles’ perfectly timed dip clinched the victory.

After the race, Lyles approached Thompson and said, “Bro, I think you got that one, big dog,” according to NBC. In a historic race, all eight sprinters finished in under 10 seconds. Fred Kerley of the USA took bronze with a time of 9.81 seconds. Despite crossing the line first, Thompson was denied the gold, leaving fans and experts stunned.

The closest race in history: How Kishane Thompson lost gold by a fraction of a second

In track and field, the finish line for a lap is when an athlete’s chest crosses the finish line. Although Thompson’s feet crossed the finish line first, Lyles’ torso crossed the line before her Jamaican rival’s. This was confirmed by the images gathered by the Paris Games’ official timekeeper, Omega, as per whom Kishane’s time was 9.789, while Lyles’ was 9.784 – a difference of just 0.005 seconds. So, after the final decision, Noah Lyles was on cloud nine and said to Reuters, “It’s the one I wanted, it’s the hard battle, it’s the amazing opponents,” even though it was disappointing for Thompson.

Interestingly, the American was the slowest off the blocks at 0.178 seconds, per The Telegraph. While that wasn’t a surprise, considering Lyles has never been the fastest of starters, the middle stint of the 100m dash made all the difference for him. At the 30m mark, the 27-year-old was still in eighth but found his stride pattern. By halfway, he reached 43.5 kmph, which, surprisingly, wasn’t his top speed. But it was still faster than the speed anyone else achieved throughout the 100 meters. 

This meant he went from eighth at the 30m mark to third at 60 meters, only behind Kishane Thompson and Fred Kerley. At that point, his speed was a remarkable 43.6 kmph. From there on, it was just a question of maintaining his stride and hoping the track would continue long enough for him to make up the starting deficit. That’s precisely what he did, and unlike Thompson, the American led with his torso. That said, after losing by the narrowest of margins, Thompson expressed his disappointment.

“I am a bit disappointed, but I am happy at the same time,” he said, noting he should have relied more on his speed. “I made a mistake. I’m just going to keep on working and doing as best as I can. I didn’t trust myself enough and my speed to bring me to the line in the right position I needed to be.” This close finish was partly fueled by Noah Lyles’ past frustration. After winning bronze in 2021, Lyles vowed to come back stronger. In an interview with TIME, he declared, “I’m here to race anybody who wants it,” and promised not to falter. 

As for Kishane Thompson, he became the first Jamaican to be on the podium in the men’s Olympic 100m since Bolt’s run of three straight titles in 2008, ’12, and ’16. “My body language will not show it because I am not an expressive guy, but I am glad,” Thompson said. “I’m super grateful.” Thompson entered the race with the fastest time of the season (9.77 seconds) and was viewed as the biggest threat to Lyles. It came down to the wire with all eight sprinters separated by a margin of .12 seconds – and even closer for gold and silver. “That close,” Thompson said. “It was that close.”

Speaking of close, both Thompson and Lyles’ official times were 9.79 seconds. But it was that 0.005-second advantage that the American had that made all the difference. Considering they had the same time down to the hundredths, the Jamaican was asked after the race if the gold medal should be shared. “No disrespect to other sports, but I think our sport is too competitive for a medal to be shared,” he said. And when there’s technology proving that he finished behind Noah Lyles, why would Thompson think otherwise?

There’s more to come from the rising star 

The 100m showdown at the Paris Olympics lived up to its anticipation. And even though Kishane Thompson dominated 90 meters of the race, that final 10 meters quashed his hopes for a first Olympic gold. Speaking to Olympics.com, he said to Olympics.com, “It was really a close race. I couldn’t really see Noah based on the lane we were in. I saw that I cleared [the ones] to my near left and near right, but I couldn’t see him. It was that close,” indicating he still couldn’t believe that he missed out on the gold.

Kishane Thompson’s performance at the Jamaican trials was so good (9.77 seconds) that he came into the Olympic finals knowing he’d be one of the strongest contenders for gold. Thompson touched the tape in Kingston, winning the men’s title with a mild following wind of 0.9 m/sec, with Oblique Seville second with 9.82 and Ackeem Blake third with 9.92, booking their trips to Paris. Just 22 years old, Kishane Thompson is a phenomenon in the sprinting world, and there’s no doubt he’ll be back stronger than ever, having learned from his mistakes.

Thompson was absent from the first few races this season but made an impressive return at the Jamaican trials. On the day of the heats, he ran 9.82 seconds and followed it up with a 9.84-second performance in the semi-final, collecting five more placings and setting a new national record. The speed and consistency of his performances have been remarkable, establishing him as one of the top sprinters in the world.