Paris Olympics

The showmanship, the confidence, the claims — Team USA’s Noah Lyles backed it all up on 4 August as the men’s 100m sprint took centre stage for the night's final event at the Stade de France. The orchestrated buildup, complete with lasers, led to a show that delivered on every promise.

The fastest men in the world lined up... and in a flash, it was over, with a dramatic photo finish as Lyles caught Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson at the finish line. Lyles took the gold with a personal best time of 9.784 seconds, ahead of Thompson’s 9.789. “Goodness gracious, I'm incredible," said Lyles — the newly minted Olympic gold medallist and the fastest man in the world.