American sprinter Noah Lyles became the fastest man in the world, winning the Olympic 100m final at the Stade de France in Paris with a personal best time of 9.79 seconds, edging out Jamaican Kishane Thompson by just five thousandths of a second.

Lyles started his Paris campaign with this final, aiming to replicate his triple gold feat from the World Championships in Budapest last year by winning the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay.

The 27-year-old American faced the final with the knowledge that nearly 80,000 spectators at the Stade de France had their eyes on him. He rose to the occasion by putting on a show before the race, pumping up the crowd, pounding his chest, and sharing moments of connection with the stands.

Lyles had the slowest reaction time among the eight finalists at 0.178 seconds, which required him to make a significant comeback during the race. His exceptional top speed helped him recover from the slow start, and he crossed the finish line in 9.79 seconds, the same time as the young Jamaican Kishane Thompson, who finished just five thousandths of a second later to take silver. American Fred Kerley secured bronze with a time of 9.81 seconds.

For the first time in Olympic history, running under ten seconds in the semifinals wasn't enough to make the final. The competition level was incredibly high, with the cutoff set by American Kenneth Bednarek at 9.93 seconds.