Why Noah Lyles’ 100-Meter Win Had to Be Decided with a Photo Finish

Officials determined that the runner beat out Jamaican sprinter Kishane Thompson by 0.005 seconds at the Paris Summer Olympics

Noah Lyles secured the gold medal in the men’s 100m final at the Paris Summer Olympics — but by a very slim margin. 

During the final at Stade de France on Sunday, Aug. 4, Team USA's 27-year-old sprinter finished the race at 9.79 seconds — a personal best time for him — and beat out Jamaican sprinter Kishane Thompson for the gold by 0.005 seconds, per the New York Times. 

So how do officials decide the winner with such a narrow margin?

Related: Noah Lyles Wins His First Gold Medal in 100-Meter Final at 2024 Paris Olympics

According to the Times, the scoreboard had PHOTO written next to Lyles and his other competitor’s names after the 100m final concluded. PHOTO — referring to photo finish — is a term used when officials must take a closer look at the race to determine the finishing times and placements.

NBC Olympics reported that per the official rules and regulations for track and field events, “the first athlete whose torso (as distinguished from the head, neck, arms, legs, hands or feet) reaches the vertical plane of the closest edge of the finish line is the winner.” Officials determined that Lyles’ torso made it over the finish line before the rest of his competitors.

The photo finish for the men’s 100m final was taken with Omega’s Scan’O'Vision, which was used to determine the winner. “The critical moment [for Noah] came right at the end [of the race],” a spokesperson for Omega tells PEOPLE. “While Noah managed to maintain his speed for the final 34.85 meters, when his opponent slightly decelerated, [that allowed him] to take the lead just after the nine second mark.”

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In the end, Thompson earned a silver medal for Jamaica and Lyles’ fellow Team USA runner Fred Kerley took the bronze. 

Lyles’ win, meanwhile, marks his first gold medal at the Olympic games and Team USA’s first gold medal in the men’s 100m race since the Athens Games in 2004. 
Lyles told PEOPLE and other reporters he initially thought that Thompson "had it at the end," and even told his competitor, "I think you got that one, big dog."

"And then my name popped up and I'm like, 'Oh my gosh, I'm amazing,'" he continued. "I'm gonna be honest, I wasn't ready to see it. And that's the first time I've ever said that in my head, like I wasn't ready to see it. He was quite a few lanes down, so it was hard for me to picture where we were, but I guess that was a good thing."

Related: Noah Lyles on Winning Bronze After Tough Year: 'Just Because I'm Struggling Doesn't Mean I'm Going to Quit'

Lyles initially had a slow reaction time at the beginning of the race, and was in seventh place halfway through before he pushed through to the top towards the end. 

"To be honest, I just believed in myself," Lyles told PEOPLE and other reporters. "That goes to prove that reaction time does not win races."

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