It was the closest-ever 100 metres final in the history of the Olympic Games as Noah Lyles won by five thousandths of a second in a sensational finish to give the United States the title of fastest man in the world for the first time in 20 years in Paris on Sunday.
Jamaican Kishane Thompson led for most of the race and clocked the same time -- 9.79 seconds -- as Lyles who won by five thousandths of a second in a photo finish after timing his dip to cross the line to perfection.
Lyles admitted he thought Thompson, who came into the final as the fastest man this year, had beaten him.
It was the first time eight men have broken 10 seconds in a wind-legal 100 metres race.
If the race had been 99 metres, Thompson would have been celebrating a fourth Jamaican men's 100m win in five Olympics, but fast-finishing Lyles kept his form superbly and timed his dip expertly to add Olympic gold to his world title.
American Fred Kerley took the bronze in 9.81 and Akani Simbini of South Africa was fourth, while defending champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs of Italy, heavily strapped, finished fifth in 9.85 and Letsile Tebogo of Botswana also set a national record with 9.86 in sixth.
Such was the quality of the race, that eighth-placed Oblique Seville of Jamaica clocked 9.91 seconds.
'I did not think I won, I didn't think I dipped at the right time, too early,' Lyles said after the race. 'I even went up to Kishane while we were waiting and said "I think you got that one." But then my name popped up and I thought "Oh my gosh, I'm amazing".'
'I wasn't patient enough with myself to let my speed bring me at the line, in the position that I know I could have gone to, but I have learned from it,' Thompson said.
Asked if he thought the pair should share the medal, rhe Jamaican runner said: 'I think the sport is too competitive, no offence to any other sport. It's too competitive for us to share a gold medal.'
