Kishane vs Noah Lyles: The race that changed everything, but is the rivalry just beginning?

Noah Lyles defeated Kishane Thompson to win Paris Olympics 100m gold

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Noah Lyles and Kishane Thompson have dominated debate over who is the world's fastest man.

Kishane vs Noah Lyles: The race that changed everything, but is the rivalry just beginning?

Festus Chuma 14:12 - 02.02.2025

Noah Lyles had been on a relentless journey to prove himself finally securing Olympic gold and earning the world's fastest man title.

Jamaican sprint king Kishane Thompson came agonizingly close to Olympic glory in Paris but was edged out by American sprinter Noah Lyles  in the 100m final. 

This victory not only fulfilled a lifelong dream for Lyles but also cemented his status as one of the premier sprinters in the world.

Despite being a three-time world champion in the 200m, Lyles had often found himself excluded from conversations about the world’s fastest men. 

However, his victory in the 100m final at the Paris Olympics marked a turning point in his career and elevated him to an elite category of sprinting greats.

"It was a dream come true. It is something you dream about all the time. You want to be the world's fastest man, I've said this for years. I'm the three world champion in the 200 and nobody wanted to say I was the world's fastest man. I won it in the 100 in Budapest," Lyles said as per SportKeeda.

The American sprinter emphasized how winning the Olympic gold in the 100m finally placed him among the all-time sprint greats. 

For years, he had been dominant in the 200m, but in the track world the ultimate sprint title is often reserved for the Olympic 100m champion.

"Okay, now I'm in the conversation. I finally won it in the Olympics, okay, now I'm the world's fastest man. It's a crazy title and it holds a lot of weight, you know, walking around people will easily notice me on the street a lot more," he added.

Lyles’ victory in Paris came after an intense battle with Kishane Thompson, who had been in formidable form leading up to the final. 

The Jamaican sprinter had clocked impressive times throughout the season and was one of the biggest threats to Lyles' Olympic ambitions. 

However, in a dramatic finish, Lyles edged him out to claim gold and solidify his name in sprinting history.

While Lyles basked in his Olympic triumph, he also took time to clarify the debate surrounding the title of the 'fastest man alive.' 

Following his gold-medal run, many fans labeled him with the prestigious title, but Lyles himself acknowledged that Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt still holds the honor due to his world record of 9.58 seconds in the 100m.

"So I'm the World's Fastest Man. You get it with the title of being the Olympic Champion. Technically, the fastest man alive is Usain Bolt," Lyles explained on his podcast Beyond the Records.

The 26-year-old sprinter further revealed his ambitions to challenge one of Bolt’s most unbreakable records—the 200m world record of 19.19 seconds, set in 2009. 

Lyles has dominated the 200m scene for years, and after claiming gold in the 100m, he now has his sights set on rewriting history in the longer sprint.