In the fastest Olympic 100m ever, the gold is in the details. Noah Lyles and Kishane Thompson they crossed the finish line recording the same time (9.79), but in the end the most prestigious medal hung from the neck of the American. Why? A question of thousandths (5), but not only.
Thompson, the front foot
Determining the winner live was not easy, so much so that Lyles himself had congratulated his rival believing he had come in second. In fact, looking at the photo finish, Thompson crosses the finish line first. His right foot (lane 4) is in front of Lyles’ left foot (lane 7). But then how is it possible that the Jamaican didn’t win?
What the regulation says
To clarify, you need to browse the pages of the regulation: the winner is the one who crosses the finish line first with his chest, not his foot. Lyles outwitted Thompson by pushing his chest forward, using a technique common to sprinters, who push their heads forward at the finish line. Appearances had deceived those less experienced fans who, borrowing the offside criterion from the world of football, had drawn an imaginary line on the foot of the first to arrive (Thompson).
Jacobs, fifth at six cents from gold: “It doesn’t end here”
by Emanuela Audisio
The most balanced 100 final ever
Lyles can thus celebrate the most balanced and competitive final everwith all the participants going under the 10-second barrier (seven under 9.90). While the arrival at the finish line with the same time has a precedent: Moscow 1980, when the British Allan Wells (gold) and the Cuban Silvio Leonard both ran in 10.25. At that time the medal was awarded by the judges, not by technology. In short, the final of records crowned Lyles. But one record resists, that of Usain Bolt, the fastest in world history (9.58 at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin) and Olympic history (9.63 in London 2012).
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– 2024-08-05 20:42:27
