Noah Lyles, the world’s fastest man, won a gold medal in the 100-m final on Sunday in a race that came down to a remarkable photo finish.
The meet was decided by just .005 seconds, as NBC commentators originally declared Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson as the winner. “I went up to him afterward, while we were waiting. I even said, ‘Bro I think you got that one, big dog,” NBC reports that Lyles told Thompson before the scoreboard revealed that the Florida native crossed the finish line with a time of 9.784 seconds. Thompson, the silver medalist, did so in 9.789. Team USA’s Fred Kerley followed closely at 9.81 seconds, securing the bronze.
[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]Read More: The Inside Story of How Noah Lyles Pulled Off That Incredible 100-M Win
In track and field, the end of an athlete’s lap is determined by the moment their torso crosses the finish line. While it may appear that other competitors’ feet reached the finish line first, the photo displays Lyles, in lane seven, with his chest meeting the mark.
This victory was undoubtedly fueled by Lyles’ finish in 2021, when the 27-year-old was unsatisfied after he took home bronze in Tokyo. After that point, the track-and-field star became even more determined. “I’m here to race anybody who wants it,” Lyles told TIME in an interviewer earlier this year. “The deeper the field, the better I run. I know I’m going to win. Because I’m never going to break nerve.”
This marks the first U.S. gold in this event since 2004.
Lyles is also hoping to medal in the 200m race, for which he is the favorite. He’ll first have to compete in his heat on Monday, Aug. 5.
