Noah Lyles wins gold by 0.005 seconds: What is photo finish and how is it decided in Olympics?

New Delhi: In what was the closest ever 100m final in modern history, American sprinter Noah Lyles clinched the elusive gold medal at the Paris Olympics 2024. It was an incredible finish to the race as Lyles managed to win the gold medal by the barest of margins. The difference between the gold and the silver medal was five-thousandths of a second.

Lyles managed to beat Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson by 0.005 seconds in what was a dramatic photo finish at the Paris Games. Both sprinters were eventually given a rounded-up timing of 9.79 seconds each but what separated the two was .005 seconds difference in their overall timing.

Lyles finished with .784 to Thompson’s .789 which saw him finish on the top spot on the podium. Thompson led in the majority of the race but it was Lyles’ stunning acceleration towards the end which saw him emerge on top, leaving the fans and his fellow competitors in disbelief.

Noah Lyles = Speed🏃‍♂️⚡️

The American track star takes Gold in the 100m event at #Paris2024 🥇

Keep Watching the Olympics live on #Sports18 & stream for FREE on #JioCinema 👌#OlympicsOnJioCinema #OlympicsOnSports18 #Olympics #JioCinemaSports #Athletics pic.twitter.com/296jZCfTzL

— JioCinema (@JioCinema) August 4, 2024

What is a photo finish?

A photo finish is a term often used to describe an incredibly close race where multiple competitors are finishing a particular race at the same time. In such a case, a photo of the athletes crossing the finishing line is examined and observed to determine the winner. Photo finish is used as the naked eye can’t catch the action where the difference could be a few milliseconds or even less.

Photo finish men’s 100m

Noah Lyles set a personal best of 9.784 seconds edging out Kishane Thompson by a mere 0.005 seconds.

The blink of an eye lasts 0.1 seconds.pic.twitter.com/ExiGQW4ss1

— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) August 5, 2024

How is a photo finish decided at the Olympics?

At the Olympics and all other major events organised by World Athletics, a slit-video system is used when the runners approach the finish line during an event. The slit-video system has the ability to scan an ultra-thin segment of the track with the finish line. It can scan up to 2000 times per second which helps in determining the timing of each athlete crossing the line.

There are multiple cameras installed to get different angles in case an athlete’s view is blocked by another. But it is not only the foot crossing the finishing line that determines the winner. An athlete’s torso has to cross the line for the final timing to be registered. The torso or trunk of a person includes the chest, abdomen, pelvis, and back.

For those confused as to why Noah Lyles was awarded Gold instead of Thompson, even though Thompson’s foot crossed 1st:

The clock stops when your torso crosses the line *not* 1st body part. Noah leans w/ his chest, while Thompson subtly concaves his chest. That was the difference pic.twitter.com/13WqNsjrvm

— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) August 4, 2024

During the 100m final at the Paris Olympics, it was Thompson who led for the majority of the race and his foot appeared to have hit the finishing line first. However, it was Lyles who took the gold medal as his torso surpassed the finishing line ahead of the Jamaican, handing him a victory by the barest of margins.

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 World champion Noah Lyles won the gold medal in men’s 100m sprint by 0.005 seconds in a photo finish at the Paris Olympics 2024. Lyles beat Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson by five-thousandths of a second in the race.  Other Sports Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today