Noah Lyles fulfilled all the hype and anticipation by winning the closest-ever Olympic 100 metres final on Sunday, securing the title for the United States for the first time in 20 years. Lyles clinched victory by a mere five thousandths of a second, clocking a personal best of 9.79 seconds, the same time as Jamaican Kishane Thompson, but winning by the width of a vest.

The dramatic race saw Lyles initially believing he had left it too late to catch the powerful Thompson. However, the giant screen confirmed his victory, adding Olympic gold to his world title. Lyles celebrated by ripping his name bib from his shirt and holding it aloft, his red, white, and blue varnished fingernails gleaming.

"It's the one I wanted, it's the hard battle, it's the amazing opponents," said Lyles, who became the first American male Olympic 100m champion since Justin Gatlin in 2004. "I didn’t do this against a slow field – I did this against the best of the best, on the biggest stage, with the biggest pressure."

The race was notable for its high quality, as it was the first time eight men broke 10 seconds in a wind-legal 100 metres race. American Fred Kerley secured bronze with a time of 9.81 seconds, and Akani Simbine of South Africa finished fourth, setting a national record with 9.83 seconds. Defending champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs of Italy, heavily strapped, came fifth in 9.85 seconds, while Letsile Tebogo of Botswana also set a national record with 9.86 seconds in sixth place. Even the eighth-placed Oblique Seville of Jamaica clocked an impressive 9.91 seconds.

"I did not think I won, I didn't think I dipped at the right time, too early," Lyles admitted. "I even went up to Kishane while we were waiting and said, 'I think you got that one.' But then my name popped up, and I thought, 'Oh my gosh, I'm amazing.'"

Kishane Thompson, the fastest man in the world this year with a time of 9.77 seconds, was the quickest semi-finalist on Sunday with 9.80 seconds. "I am a bit disappointed, but I am happy at the same time," Thompson said. "I wasn’t patient enough with myself to let my speed bring me to the line in the position that I know I could have gone to."

Fred Kerley, a former world champion, praised the race's competitiveness. "That was a great race, and anyone could have won it," he said. "I feel that I executed as best as I could. I came here for the gold and nothing else, but, hey, everybody came here for the same thing, and only one can win. Whoever came off the best, is the best."

Lyles, known as the biggest showman in the sport and the star of Netflix's runaway success series "SPRINT," has become a serious championship contender over shorter distances. He has previously won three 200m world titles and a 200m bronze at the last Olympics.

Reflecting on his journey, Lyles said, "I think back to Tokyo when I messed up handling the rounds. From then on, I was like, 'I’m never going to do that again. I’m going to handle this correctly and practice over the years.'" He added that after feeling rattled following the semi-final, he called one of his therapists for advice.

At 27, Lyles is targeting a possible four gold medals in Paris, aiming for titles in the 100m, his favorite 200m, the 4x100m relay, and possibly the 4x400m relay. Achieving this feat would place him alongside illustrious compatriots Jesse Owens and Carl Lewis, who won four gold medals at a single Games, albeit with the long jump instead of the longer relay.