Who could forget Noah Lyles‘ incredible win against his fiercest rival, Kishane Thompson, in the 100m Olympics finals? Throughout the years, track and field has given the world several exhilarating moments. In fact, we saw a few at the 2024 Paris Olympics games as well. From upset wins to several records broken, the games this year had it all. Well, almost. If we had to pick one of the most anticipated rivalries of the sport, it would have to be the USA vs Jamaica dynamic.

Let’s be honest, the latter has dominated the track with an iron fist for quite some time now. However, Team USA was determined to change that in the French capital. Several track and field stars, including Olympic 100m champion Sha’Carri Richardson, Gabby Thomas, and others, had their sights set on shiny hardware in Paris. Coach Dennis Mitchell was one of the hopefuls, eager for Team USA to leave an indelible mark on the sport. What did he say?

Noah Lyles triumphantly ends Jamaica’s dominance at the French capital

The 27-year-old entered his second berth as a reigning 100m World Champion. Yet, that wasn’t enough for the sprinter. He wanted more, and that included clinching his maiden Olympic gold. But Jamaica had claimed three 100m victories in four Olympics, and the stakes were higher than ever. Yet, Dennis Mitchell believed the scales could easily be tipped. In episode 3 of Netflix’s SPRINT, the coach exclaimed, “I’ve always knew as a coach that if I just had the right athletes, that we could break the dominance of the Jamaican athletes.” 

Little did he know that Noah Lyles would prove him right in the 100m final on August 5. The 27-year-old faced off against Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson. Keep in mind, the sprinter’s 9.77 seconds at the Jamaican trials had earned him the title of the world’s fastest man going into the Olympics. In fact, it was 0.04 seconds faster than any time Lyles had ever run. As the world watched with bated breath, they expected Thompson to seize the 100m crown.

But the reigning 100m World Champion wouldn’t let up so easily. Surging towards the finish line from the back, the American edged out his rival in an iconic photo-finish. The 27-year-old had clinched an Olympic gold with 9.784 seconds on the clock. This was just five-thousandths of a second quicker than Thompson’s, who finished in 9.789 seconds. “It’s been 20 years since men’s 100-meter champion has come from the U.S. It’s just been Jamaica constantly, and I brought it back. I brought it back to the U.S.,” he stated in the Netflix documentary after his iconic win. 

Sha’Carri Richardson missed this historic feat by a whisker

Noah Lyles always proclaimed that he would snag the 100m Olympic gold leading up to the Paris Games. But many weren’t convinced. Why is that, you ask? Well, the last time an American snagged the Olympic 100m champion title was during the 2004 Athens Games. With a blistering 9.85 seconds, Justin Gatlin sprinted towards the finish line, beating Portugal’s Francis Obikwelu and his compatriot Maurice Greene for the prize. 

On the other hand, Team USA’s women have failed to capture gold in every Olympics since 1996. Yolanda Gail Devers-Roberts was the last American woman to boast the Olympic 100m champion title with a scorching 10.94 seconds during the Atlanta Games. However, Jamaican women have dominated the track on the world’s grandest stage since then. In the Netflix Documentary, Coach Mitchell reiterated, ” It’s been 30 years since an American female has won an Olympic gold medal in the 100 meters. And to achieve that goal, that will be a great accomplishment.” 

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was Jamaica’s first female Olympic 100m champion at the 2008 Beijing Games and defended her title again in the 2012 London Games. Her compatriot Elaine Herah-Thompson carried that torch in the 2016 Rio Games, while Fraser-Pryce settled for a third-place finish. In fact, during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the Jamaican women did a full podium sweep, with Herah-Thompson defending her title, Fraser-Pryce clinching the silver, and Shericka Jackson completing the podium in third place.

However, the trio didn’t compete during the iconic women’s 100m finals at Stade de France. While this heightened the chances for Team USA to bag the first Olympic gold since 1996, Sha’Carri Richardson’s 10.87 seconds were no match for Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred. The 23-year-old left the American in the dust and bagged her nation’s first Olympic medal with a blistering 10.72 seconds across the finish line. While Noah Lyles reignited the USA vs Jamaica rivalry with his maiden gold, Richardson had to settle for a silver medal instead. Where were you when the sprinter etched his name in history?