Noah Lyles Captures Olympic Gold Medal For USA In Unreal Photo Finish During 100M Race

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When it comes to Olympic racing, the elite athletes are often separated by the slimmest of margins. That was never more on display than Sunday when American Noah Lyles crossed the finish line of the 100M dash just fractions of a second faster than his opponents. 

In fact, during the live broadcast on NBC, commentators mistakenly thought that Jamaican Kishane Thompson had won the race and captured the gold medal. 

But it wasn't Thompson – it was Lyles, who won the race in a photo finish for the ages. 

Both Thompson and Lyles posted the exact same time of 9.79 seconds. However, Lyles was deemed the winner by thousandths of a second. 

It just doesn't get any closer than that. 

And it was a terrific race for Team USA, as not only did Lyles capture the gold medal to become "the fastest man on Earth," but Fred Kerley took home the bronze medal for America, as well. 

Kerley finished just .02 seconds behind Thompson and Lyles and just .01 seconds ahead of fourth place to reach the podium. 

Kerley won a silver medal in the 2020 Tokyo Games in the 100m with a time of 9.84 seconds. That time would not have been good enough to medal in 2024. 

The margins are so insanely thin when it comes to these races, and one small mistake can completely derail a runner. 

However, the two American runners did just about everything right to earn two of the three spots on the podium, giving the United States two more medals to add to its dominant count in the 2024 Summer Olympics.

American Noah Lyles becomes the "fastest man on Earth" after capturing the gold medal in the 100m race by the slimmest of margins.

American Noah Lyles became the "fastest man on Earth" after capturing the gold medal in the 100m race by the slimmest of margins.

(Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Noah Lyles isn't done yet, either, as he will also compete in the 200m to try and capture a second gold medal for himself and for his country. 

He won the bronze medal in 2020 in Tokyo in the 200m and will look to improve upon that result. 

Winning both races at the Olympics is called a "Double" and that's exactly what Lyles hopes to accomplish. 

If he pulls it off, he would be the first American to accomplish the feat since Carl Lewis in 1984. Usain Bolt captured the "Double" in three straight Olympics (2008, 2012, 2016). 

Huge congratulations to Noah Lyles and best of luck in the 200m. 

U-S-A! U-S-A! 

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Dan began his sports media career at ESPN, where he survived for nearly a decade. Once the Stockholm Syndrome cleared, he made his way to OutKick. He is secure enough in his masculinity to admit he is a cat-enthusiast with three cats, one of which is named "Brady" because his wife wishes she were married to Tom instead of him.