Noah Lyles takes the Olympic gold in the 100-meter dash by the slimmest of margins

An American is once again the world’s fastest man.

An American is once again the world’s fastest man. Noah Lyles earned that title and the gold medal in the men’s 100-meter dash by the slimmest of margins – just five-thousandths of a second – on Sunday night outside Paris, exploding down the track at the Stade de France and leaning in to cross the finish line ahead of favorite Kishane Thompson of Jamaica. The victory ends a 20-year Olympic drought in the event for the USA, when Justin Gatlin won the 100-meter race in Athens. It also cements Lyles as the premier American superstar in this sport as the charismatic 27-year-old sprinter had already been one of the premier faces of track and field with his blazing speed and viral moments. Thompson, who was the betting favorite in the race, took the silver medal and American Fred Kerley took home the bronze. It was a sterling version of the signature Olympic race. Taking place on the same night as the women’s high jump final and the men’s hammer throw final, along with qualifying heats in multiple other races, the showpiece event didn’t begin until all those other competitions were done for the day. When the time came, the lights went out in the Stade de France just as the sun had nearly set outside Paris. And then it lit back up as wristbands on the 80,000 spectators in the stadium began to flash, creating another one of the dazzling light shows that these Paris Olympics are becoming known for.