Noah Lyles finally secured his Olympic gold medal.
After years of confidently predicting his success and dominating the world championships last year, the Gainesville, Florida native backed up his words by winning the men’s 100-meter final in Paris on Sunday.
Lyles crossed the finish line in 9.784 seconds, a personal best, edging out his competitors by just five-thousandths of a second. The result required a long photo finish review before Lyles was officially declared the champion. The tense moment saw him standing side by side with Jamaican Kishane Thompson, whom many initially believed had won.
When the final result was confirmed, Lyles delivered a triumphant message:
"America, I told you, I got this!"
He then proudly draped an American flag around his shoulders and embarked on a well-deserved victory lap. American Fred Kerley took the bronze with a time of 9.81 seconds.
Lyles is the first American to win the 100-meter event at the Olympics since Justin Gatlin’s victory in 2004. His win contributed to a successful day for the United States, which also saw gold medals from golfer Scottie Scheffler, cyclist Kristen Faulkner, swimmer Bobby Finke, and the women's 4x100 medley relay team.
In the semifinal, the 27-year-old clocked a 9.83, securing his spot in the final by finishing second in his race. Despite some criticism for placing second in a preliminary heat, Lyles had vowed to finish first from that point onward. While he didn't win that particular heat, his performance in the final more than made up for it. Lyles has also sparked controversy with his remarks that NBA champions should not be considered world champions, a comment that has drawn both ire and admiration from fans. This victory, however, might help shift public perception.
Next, Lyles will turn his attention to the 200m, where he’s set his sights on breaking Usain Bolt’s world record of 19.19 seconds, as well as the 4x100m relay. It’s still uncertain whether he’ll compete in the 4x400m relay, though he was part of the silver-medal-winning team at this year’s world indoor championships.
In a March interview with Fox News Digital, Lyles shared that a friend had encouraged him to aim even higher: "'Forget three, you need to go after four. Do something no one's ever done.'"
"When you want to talk about being the greatest, that’s what you have to achieve. So, I announced that that is a goal of mine to complete; why not do it on the biggest stage, the Olympics?" Lyles said, referring to the possibility of competing in a fourth Olympic event.
Track legend Carl Lewis recently expressed his support for Lyles, telling Fox News Digital that the sport "needs" him to dominate these games.
"I think the sport needs someone like him that’s a champion. He’s the defending champion, the fastest man in the world right now, and we need someone to grab onto. I think he’s the perfect guy to do that, and I’m excited about that," Lewis said.
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