Paris, France — In a thrilling men’s 100m final at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Jamaica’s rising star Kishane Thompson narrowly missed out on a gold medal.
The race, held at the Stade de France before a packed crowd, ended in a photo finish with American Noah Lyles edging out Thompson. Both athletes clocked 9.79 seconds, but Lyles (9.784) was declared the winner over Thompson (9.789) by a mere five-thousandths of a second.
The race saw Lyles achieve a new personal best, while Fred Kerley secured third place with a season-best 9.81 seconds. South Africa’s Akane Simbine set a national record with 9.82 seconds, finishing fourth. Defending champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs of Italy came in fifth, also recording a season-best of 9.85 seconds. Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo set a national record with 9.86 seconds for sixth place, followed by American Kenneth Bednarek in seventh with 9.88 seconds. Jamaica’s Oblique Seville finished eighth with 9.91 seconds, marking the fastest-ever last-place time in an Olympic 100m final.
Sub-10 second barrier
Remarkably, all eight runners broke the sub-10 second barrier, a first in any Olympics or World Championships 100m final.
Thompson and Seville had qualified for the final with the two fastest times from the semi-finals. Seville won his heat in a personal best of 9.81 seconds, ahead of Lyles, who clocked 9.82. Simbine took the second semi-final in 9.87 seconds, with Tebogo close behind in 9.91 seconds. Thompson secured his spot with a 9.80-second win in the third semi-final, followed by Kerley in 9.84 seconds.
Thompson’s silver medal brings Jamaica’s medal count to three, with two silver and one bronze.
Goule-Toppin out
In the women’s 800m semi-finals, Natoya Goule-Toppin led for much of the race but ultimately finished sixth with a time of 1:59.14 minutes, missing out on the final. The race was won by Kenya’s Mary Moraa in 1:57.86 minutes, with Ethiopia’s Mesele Worknesh finishing third in 1:58.06 minutes.
In the men’s 400m heats, Jevaughn Powell was the only Jamaican to advance, finishing third in his heat with a time of 45.12 seconds. Deander Watkins and Sean Bailey did not progress automatically with times of 45.97 and 44.68 seconds, respectively. Kirani James won heat five, but all non-qualifiers will compete in a repechage on Monday morning.
Monday’s events include the men’s 400m hurdles, men’s discus throw, men’s 400m repechage, men’s 200m heats, and the women’s 200m semi-finals, offering more opportunities for medals.
