NOAH STOPPIN' HIM

Lyles on top of the world after all-time classic

- JEREMY CROSS

ON A purple track, with a flashing white smile, Noah Lyles finally had his golden moment.

In one of the greatest Olympic 100m finals of all time, Lyles had secured his redemption - and then some.

The last Games in Tokyo had left him needing counselling to deal with mental health problems, having finished third in the 200m final.

Fast forward to now and the American superstar has the greatest medal of all around his neck.

In a photo finish like few others, Lyles took the gold ahead of Jamaica's Kishane Thompson by the barest of margins - five thousands of a second, to be very precise - after both of them had recorded times of 9.79secs. The USA's Fred Kerley claimed bronze in 9.81secs.

It was the first race Lyles had actually won at these Games, having come second in both his heat and the semi-final.