Lyles fastest man on earth; Biles wants more

MANILA, Philippines — World champion Noah Lyles roared to victory in 9.79 seconds to claim gold in a dramatic men’s Olympic 100m final in Paris on Sunday.

Lyles won in the closest Olympic 100m finish in modern history as just five thousandths of a second separated him from Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson.

Both were given the rounded-up time of 9.79sec but the American’s name carried the all-important (.784) to Thompson’s (.789.)

It made Lyles the first American, male or female, to win the event since Justin Gatlin took gold in the 2004 Athens Games.

“It’s the one I wanted,” said Lyles, whose winning time was a personal best. “It’s the hard battle, it’s the amazing opponents.

“Everybody’s healthy, everybody came prepared for the fight and I wanted to prove that I’m the man amongst all of them. I’m the wolf amongst wolves.”

Lyles’ victory was only confirmed after a photo-finish.

Lyles won three golds at last year’s world championships in Budapest and the 27-year-old said he was eyeing a repeat in the French capital.

“I’m pretty confident, I can’t lie,” said Lyles.

He is seeking to emulate Usain Bolt, the last sprinter to achieve the treble.

The Jamaican legend did it at the 2016 Rio Games, having also done it four years previously in London.

Biles wants more

Widely considered the greatest gymnast in history, Simone Biles can add to her haul of three golds already at these Games as she competes on balance beam and floor at the Bercy Arena.

The American has emphatically bounced back from the debilitating mental condition known as the “twisties” which blighted her campaign at the Tokyo Olympics.

Two more golds on Monday would give her a remarkable nine in her career. 

Scheffler bags gold in golf

Scottie Scheffler delivered the best performance of his greatest year by rallying from four shots behind Sunday with a 9-under 62 and a record 19-under 265 to win the Olympics gold.

Tommy Fleetwood was second after a 66, and Hideki Matsuyama took the bronze medal at 17 under after a 65. John Rahm tied for sixth at 15 under after a 70.

Chinese swimmers dominate

Pan Zhanle and stalwart Zhang Yufei spearheaded China to 12 Olympic medals in the Paris pool, shrugging off intense scrutiny over a doping controversy that engulfed the team ahead of the Games.

Their haul – two gold, three silver and seven bronze – was an improvement on their total Tokyo collection of nine.

Once again, they finished behind perennial pacesetters the United States and Australia.

The team came to Paris under a dark cloud after the New York Times reported in April that 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine (TMZ) ahead of Tokyo.

China claimed it was the result of food contamination – an explanation accepted by the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA).

Men’s soccer semis

The men’s football tournament is at the semifinal stage, with Morocco taking on Spain in Marseille before Thierry Henry’s France faces Egypt in Lyon.