Noah Lyles Explains Why Iconic Olympic 100m Win Still Falls Short of His Favourite Race

Noah Lyles Explains Why Iconic Olympic 100m Win Still Falls Short of His Favourite Race

 

 

PARIS, August 2024 / Updated July 2025 — When Noah Lyles crossed the finish line in the men’s 100m final at the Paris 2024 Olympics, his time of 9.784 seconds earned him gold by a razor‑thin margin of 0.005 seconds over Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson, who clocked 9.789. The finish, one of the closest in Olympic history, was decided by a photo finish, marking the first U.S. 100 m Olympic victory since 2004 .

Though widely hailed as one of the greatest 100 m finals ever—featuring eight athletes breaking 10 seconds in a wind‑legal race—Lyles has candidly admitted the performance fell short of his own ideal vision of excellence .

In interviews with Run Blog Run, Lyles revealed that his slow reaction time off the blocks—one of the slowest in the final at approximately 0.178 seconds—forced him to expend additional energy early on. That, he said, led to fatigue late in the race, undermining his usual fluidity and grip on absolute control of the finish .

Lyles described his mindset during the race, emphasizing his goal to stay calm and steady. “I don’t need to be more, I don’t need to be less, I just need to be me, and I’ll get the job done every time,” he told reporters—a mantra he credits with keeping him composed despite the pressure and challenges mid‑race .

Still, during the home stretch, Lyles admitted he began preparing the lean early, knowing it was essential to secure gold—but not the execution he prefers. The hesitant lean, he believes, cost him a faster time and disrupted his natural finish rhythm .

Critically, Lyles’ greatest ambition remains a performance where every component—start, acceleration, form, and lean—aligns perfectly, with no recovery needed and no deviation from his dominant flow. That is the race he considers his true favorite—even if it hasn’t happened yet.

Despite these self‑criticisms, observers and fans around the world hailed the final as a historic milestone. Reddit users described it as “the closest 100m race I ever seen at the Olympics” and noted that all eight finalists breaking 10 seconds was unprecedented in Olympic history .

Lyles himself admitted that initially he thought Thompson had crossed first—so dramatic was the finish—and credited the lean for tipping the balance in his favor .

What Makes the Paris Final Special—and Still Imperfect

It was the first Olympic men’s 100m final where all runners recorded sub‑10‑second times in a single race.

It marked the end of a 20‑year American gold drought in the event.

Despite the theatrical triumph, Lyles felt held back by execution flaws, particularly the start and finish, which contrast sharply with the ideal, controlled performance he aims to deliver.

In Lyles’ eyes, the Paris win was historic and exhilarating, but also full of technical and mental nuance that prevented it from becoming his “perfect race.” He continues to seek that performance—the one where his mindset, mechanics, and finish are flawlessly in sync.

As major sponsors and fans alike revere Paris as a defining moment in sprinting history, Lyles’ reflections highlight his enduring pursuit—not just of victory, but of purity in execution and sporting artistry.