Noah Lyles is now officially the fastest man in the world, literally by thousandths of a second.
The outspoken U.S. sprinter won the 100-meter dash at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Sunday thanks to a winning time of 9.79 in a photo finish. It was almost impossible to tell which runner actually crossed the line first until it was looked at afterward.
In fact, the finish was so close that NBC Sports announcer Leigh Diffey initially seemed to give the victory to another runner.
“JAMAICA’S GONNA DO IT!”
Well, about that…pic.twitter.com/proLp6G6cz
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 4, 2024
“There’s an Olympic gold medal waiting for somebody,” said Diffey as the race began. “Who wants it the most?… Now Thompson starts to wind up… Kerley’s going with him… This is close… Jamaica’s gonna do it! Kishane Thompson is a gold medalist!”
For the next 20 seconds, the NBC booth tried to figure out if Thompson had indeed won as they waited for officials to review the photo finish. However, it turned out it was Lyles who leaned forward just enough to win the race with a time of 9.79. Lyles’s celebration, not Diffey and NBC’s, is what tipped everyone off to the official result.
Kishane Thompson also ran a 9.79 to earn the silver medal while Fred Kerley came in third at 9.81 to garner the bronze.
While the race was particularly thrilling, the call by Diffey and his NBC counterparts left a lot of viewers feeling let down by the confusion that distracted them from the moment.
Closest race I’ve ever seen and the announcer just declared a winner off nothing but vibes https://t.co/fptDWfTmUf
— Céad Míle Fáilte (@ColeyMick) August 4, 2024
oh that’s an all-time announcer fumble
— Gregg Rosenthal (@greggrosenthal) August 4, 2024
Announcer with maybe the worst botched call ever? lol
— Kim McCauley (@kimischilling) August 4, 2024
I have absolutely no idea why Leigh Diffey said Kishane Thompson won that race so quickly. What a botched call in one of the greatest #Olympics races of all-time. Why not just wait when it’s that close? https://t.co/rJ8Q5dWZfE
— Jeff D. Lowe (@JeffDLowe) August 4, 2024
What a race.
And quite possibly the worst call in history by Leigh Diffey. Declared the wrong winner on a photo finish, then extended silence while Lyles celebrated. Brutal https://t.co/ETSMFnjuDQ
— Dan Reiner (@docReiner) August 4, 2024
Leigh Diffey did nothing to help us understand who won that race
— Captain Lou (@TheCaptainLou) August 4, 2024
Some people also came out to defend Diffey, who was calling his sixth Olympics and second track and field, saying that he got caught up in the moment and it’s a mistake he’s unlikely to make again. And even with the gaffe, the call during the race itself was electric and matched the moment.
Still, even some of his defenders seemed confused as to why someone who routinely calls close finishes in auto racing would be so quick to call this footrace.
Regardless of the call, Lyles can now add his first-ever Olympic gold medal to his collection. He previously won the bronze in the 200 at the Tokyo Olympics and is a six-time world champion gold medalist.
